It is a town which since its foundation in 1602, had been ravaged by calamitous forces such as fires, typhoons, floods and human vandalism during the Philippine Revolution of 1896-1899, the war of the Philippine Independence (1899-1902), the assault of the Tulisanes (bandits) during the Spanish times, and the Guerilla (January 26,1945). Santa Cruz survived all these disastrous calamities, for it is patiently resilient as the durable bamboos and as in destructive as the Rock of all Ages.

Characterized by fertile flat lands situated along the coastal plains of Laguna de Bay, the economic base of the town had been traditionally anchored on two primary industries, namely agriculture and fishing which still remain up to the present. In view of the strategic location of Santa Cruz relative to the other coastal settlements about the lake, trading activities have likewise rooted on the town during those early settlement days. The town proper which has always been the focal point of activities used to be accessible to the other lakeshore areas due to the navigable Santa Cruz River aside from the Laguna Lake itself. Since those early days, water is the principal mode of transportation.