Oas, Albay

City of Oas
Municipality
Oas Municipal Hall
Map of Albay showing the location of Oas
City of Oas Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°15′32″N 123°29′43″E / 13.25889°N 123.49528°E / 13.25889; 123.49528Coordinates: 13°15′32″N 123°29′43″E / 13.25889°N 123.49528°E / 13.25889; 123.49528
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol (Region V)
Province	Albay
District	3rd district
Barangays	53
Government[1]
• Mayor	Gregorio "Greg" H. Ricarte
Area[2]
• Total	263.61 km2 (101.78 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	64,785
• Density	250/km2 (640/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	4505
Dialing code	52
Income class	1st class; rural

Oas is a municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines, classified as first-Class.^[4] According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 64,785 people.^[3]

History

The municipality was founded during the early Spanish Colonization of the Bicol Peninsula. In 1605, Father Baltazar de los Reyes converted 12 leading natives of the area to Christianity in one day, forming the foundation of the community now known as Oas. Most family names start with "R", like Resaldo Ricaforte Reario..

There are three stories that tell the origin of the name of Oas:

1. The existence of numerous lagoons or pools of water abounding it prompted early colonizers to give it the name of "Oasis". The natives soon called the place by this name and later abbreviated it to "Oas".
2. There is a dam across the narrowest portion of a local river. This dam solely irrigates the vast fields of the place including those of the nearby town of Libon and results in a good harvest. People are wary of any cracks or leaks on the dam walls during months of heavy rains. A crier would shot "nawaswas" giving the call to the people (in times of this kind of emergency) for immediate action in groups. From then on, the natives coined this name to the place and later shortened it to present form.
3. Early Spanish Colonizers reaching this particular section of the Bicol Peninsula asked the name of the place from the about 600 natives living there, "Como se llama este sitio?" with gesture of their hands. The natives mistakenly thought the question to be "Onan kading lugar kadi, maiwas?" (What place is this, it's very big?) in their native dialect. In response, the natives answered, "Si, señores. Labi nikading iwas. Labi nikading iwas." (Yes, sirs, this is grand and spacious). From then on the early Spanish colonizers adopted in their official census the existence of "a rich fertile valley with verdant fields of grain" which is the little town of Oas in Bicol.

Barangays

Oas is politically subdivided into 53 barangays, listed here with each Barangay Captain.

Demographics

References

External links

• Municipality of Oas
• Sangguniang Bayan Ng Oas
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Oasnon Forum

	Libon	Polangui	Tabaco
	Oas
	Burias Pass San Pascual, Masbate		Ligao

v t e Province of Albay Municipalities Bacacay Camalig Daraga Guinobatan Jovellar Libon Malilipot Malinao Manito Oas Pio Duran Polangui Rapu-Rapu Santo Domingo Tiwi Component cities Legazpi Tabaco Ligao