Oas, Albay

Oas
Municipality
Oas Municipal Hall
Location within Albay province
Oas Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°15′32″N 123°29′43″E / 13.2589°N 123.4953°E / 13.2589; 123.4953Coordinates: 13°15′32″N 123°29′43″E / 13.2589°N 123.4953°E / 13.2589; 123.4953
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region (Region V)
Province	Albay
District	3rd district
Barangays	53 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Domingo Red Escoto Jr.
Area[2]
• Total	263.61 km2 (101.78 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	67,960
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
• Voter (2016)[4]	35,027
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	4504
IDD : area code	+63 (0)52
Income class	1st class
PSGC	050512000
Website	elgu2.ncc.gov.ph/oas/

Oas, officially the Municipality of Oas (Filipino: Bayan ng Oas), is a municipality in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region (Region V) of the Philippines. The population was 67,960 at the 2015 census.^[3] In the 2016 election, it had 35,027 registered voters.^[4]

History

Oas 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.

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 shout "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.

Geography

Oas is located at 13°15′32″N 123°29′43″E / 13.2589°N 123.4953°E / 13.2589; 123.4953.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 263.61 square kilometres (101.78 sq mi)^[2] constituting 7001102300000000000♠10.23% of the 2,575.77-square-kilometre- (994.51 sq mi) total area of Albay.

Barangays

Oas is politically subdivided into 53 barangays.^[5]

Demographics

In the 2015 census, Oas had a population of 67,960.^[3] The population density was 260 inhabitants per square kilometre (670/sq mi).

In the 2016 election, it had 35,027 registered voters.^[4]

Government

• Vice-Mayor: Antonio B. Yuchongco
• Members Councillor

References

External links

• Municipality of Oas

	Libon	Polangui	Tabaco
		Oas
	Burias Pass San Pascual, Masbate		Ligao

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