Santa Cruz is considered as the service center and commercial center on the eastern part of the province. The town is composed of five barangays in the Poblacion area and 21 classified urban barangays. Although relatively far from the immediate urbanizing influence of Metropolitan Manila, Santa Cruz continues to progress. It is now classified as first class municipality. The present administration is headed by the Honorable DOMINGO G. PANGANIBAN.

Santa Cruz is also the seat of the provincial government since 1885, giving the municipality an additional administrative function over the entire province. It also functions as the service center for transportation, commerce, health, education, and other social services for the predominantly rural northeastern municipalities of the province. Boosting the economy of the municipality are the incipient and fast growing agri-business industries such as livestock raising, horticulture and aquaculture.

The town is composed of twenty-six (26) urban barangays. All barangays are being classified as urban. There are 2,500 more or less, persons living in one(1) square kilometer land area.