Oas,_Albay

Oas, Albay

Oas, Albay

Municipality in Albay, Philippines

Oas, officially the Municipality of Oas (Central Bikol: Banwaan kan Oas; Filipino: Bayan ng Oas), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,084 people.[3]

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Etymology

There are two stories that purport to tell the origin of the name of Oas:

a) 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.

b) 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?" The natives mistakenly thought the question to be "Onan kading lugar kadi, maiwas?" ("What place is this, it's very big?") in their native language. 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.

History

Foundation

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.

During the Marcos dictatorship

Main article: Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship

The town was one of the localities particularly harmed by the Dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos; in the waning days of the dictatorship, Oas was hit by a series of political killings targeting those who dared to speak out against the abuses of the Military and against Ferdinand Marcos.[5]

The most prominent of the victims was Clemente Ragragio, the municipal sanitation inspector of Ligao who was later also assigned to Oas. Known for his effectiveness, he had been awarded the 1983 Best Sanitary Inspector for Albay.[6] However, this led the dictatorship's local administrators suspecting him of being a rebel sympathizer, because his close relationship with locals in far-flung barangays allowed him to move around fearlessly, and because he expressed disagreements with the dictatorship's governance. A killer shot him three times in front of his house in the early evening of August 21, 1985, and the government did not investigate his murder. He was later honored by having his name inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani (lit. Monument of Heroes), which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought to restore democracy in the wake of the Marcos dictatorship.[5]

Recent history

Oas has been in the news several times in recent years due to the achievements of its outstanding citizens, notably Chess prodigy Bince Rafael Operiano who topped the under-10 age category at the 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship in Bangkok in 2022,[7] and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray whose maternal lineage has its roots in Oas.[8]

Geography

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

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 263.61 square kilometres (101.78 sq mi) [9] constituting 10.23% of the 2,575.77-square-kilometre- (994.51 sq mi) total area of Albay.

Oas is 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Legazpi City and 495 kilometres (308 mi) from Manila.

Barangays

Oas is politically subdivided into 53 barangays.[10] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

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Climate

More information Climate data for Oas, Albay, Month ...

Demographics

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In the 2020 census, Oas had a population of 66,084.[3] The population density was 250 inhabitants per square kilometre (650/sq mi).

Economy

Poverty Incidence of Oas
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17]
[18][19][20][21][22]

Government

Sangguniang Bayan

  • Atty. Sharon R. Escoto
  • Henry R. Raposon
  • Arvin Gregg R. Ricarte
  • Noel D. Briuega
  • Leopoldo R. Zaragoza
  • Robert N. Arevalo
  • Gader Rellama
  • Jesus Boy Reario
  • Joseph Rentosa (Liga ng Barangay President)
  • Jessie James Lo Reario (SK PRESIDENT)

Notable personalities

References

  1. [1]
     Municipality of Oas | (DILG)
  2. [2]
    "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. [3]
    Census of Population (2020). "Region V (Bicol Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  4. [4]
    "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  5. [5]
    "Martyrs & Heroes: Clemente Ragragio". Bantayog ng mga Bayani. June 26, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  6. [6]
    Abergos, Althea (November 2, 2016). "Ode to the Faceless". The Pillars: The Official Student Publication of Ateneo de Naga University. Vol. LV, no. 2. p. 12.
  7. [7]
    https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/22/house-fetes-9-year-old-bicol-chess-wizard-bince-rafael-operiano/
  8. [8]
    Kaewjinda, Kaweewit (December 17, 2018). "Catriona Gray of the Philippines crowned Miss Universe 2018". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  9. [9]
    "Province: Albay". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  10. [10]
    "Municipal: Oas, Albay". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  11. [11]
    Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region V (Bicol Region)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  12. [12]
    "Oas, Albay : Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  13. [13]
    Census of Population (2015). "Region V (Bicol Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  14. [14]
    Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region V (Bicol Region)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. [15]
    "Province of Albay". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  16. [16]
    "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  17. [17]
    "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
  18. [18]
    "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
  19. [19]
    "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
  20. [20]
    "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
  21. [21]
    "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
  22. [22]
    "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
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