MUNICIPALITY OAS, ALBAY, Historical Data of Part 1

PART I

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About these Historical Data

The transcription of this page was done using AI technology. There may be errors.

[Cover page]

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FOREWORD

The compilation of the historical data of the Municipality of Oas, was made possible through the cooperative efforts of the public school teachers, who patiently gathered materials from all possible sources in the community, under a compiling committee of teachers under the supervision of the Principal Teacher.

The following teachers composed the committee:

Acknowledgement is hereby given to the head teachers, classroom teachers, municipal officials, and other old citizens of the community for the contribution of valuable information pertinent to the materials that make-up this “HISTORICAL DATA OF OAS.”

(SGD) HILARION ORBETA
Supervising Principal
Ligao District, Ligao

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HISTORICAL DATA
OF
THE MUNICIPALITY
OAS AND BARRIOS

The official name of the town is “OAS.” The recognition of the official name began since the fourteenth century when the Philippines was discovered by Magellan. [Note: Magellan came to the Philippines in the 16^th century.]

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IMPORTANT POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMICS RELIGIOUS, AS WELL AS SOCIAL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF OAS, ALBAY FROM THE PERIOD OF THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION TO WORLD WAR II.

Facts about the developments, whether, political, educational, economic, religious, or social of any place, is not interesting to non-natives of that particular locality if the locality is not in any faint manner known. It is therefore, necessary that a few facts about the location, origin, of the like, of the particular municipality of Oas be known, if further developments about its political or economic history be interesting.

Oas is a town lying a few kilometers to the west of the Mayon Volcano. It is bordered in the north by Mt. Masaraga; in the south by the town of Ligao; and in the west by the town of Polangui where a range of rugged mountain skirts along its boundary line all the way from Polangui to the foot of Mt. Masaraga. It lies between 13 degrees to 30 degrees east latitude, on an exceptionally rich, fertile valley, traversed on the east side by the copious Iraya River and on the western part by other two streams that pour upon the farmer. A broken range of hills runs in zigzag line across the southern end of the town which provides an effective defense against the strong winds from the Pacific and from the south. It has a total land area of 27,824 hectares, and a population of 23,131.

HOW THE TOWN GOT ITS NAME

How the town of Oas got its name had been accounted to several different sources; but out of so many stories handed down from the earlier inhabitants, one has been considered most authentic.

The story tells of early Spanish soldiers who came to the place for reconnaissance purposes. These soldiers asked the natives for the name of the place, by saying; “Como se llama este sitio?” The natives, however, could not understand what the strangers meant. They thought the soldiers were asking them whether the village was wide enough. So they answered; “Mahiwas!” which meant that the place was too wide for the few natives living therein. The soldiers on the other hand thought that their question was well answered. Thus in their early records, they included in the newly discovered Bicol territory a prosperous village called Mahiwas which they later changed into the present “Oas.”

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

The Americans in the year 1898 found in the town of Oas a well-established local government under a “Capitan” who was directly responsible to the “Adelantado” or the governor general of the Spanish government. The local government of the pueblo of Oas was a

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“Comandancia politico-militar.”

The new rulers did not make an abrupt change in the local government of the town. They could see that the inhabitants would not yet submit to the new government. There was, of course, established immediately a military government which had power all over the entire archipelago. In this first step the people were made to realize the fact they were part of the government.

In the year 1900 the first municipal government under the Americans was established in Oas. The first elected municipal leader was the late Don Mariano Rebueno who was given the title of Presidente Municipal. Not many changes were made in the former administration; but the most outstanding change was the participation of the people in the government. This participation consisted in their voice in the election of their municipal leader. Here began the municipal elections.

A municipal council became the law-making body of the municipality. This law-making body consisted of the following members: The President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the councilors who also were chosen by the people.

On July 31, 1901 the municipality of Oas put up a police force comprising of well-chosen citizens of the town. This force helped the municipal council in enforcing the law. Later in connection with the civil jurisdiction of the municipality, a municipal court was established. This was in the year 1902.

Since then very few changes were made in the local government of Oas. Three or four years before the Japanese occupation a slight change was made. This was only in the title given to the head of the municipality. Instead of the Presidente Municipal, the name was changed to Alcalde Municipal or Municipal Mayor. Aside from this, the people of the municipality have not experienced so many marked changes which perhaps may have been causes of so many political misunderstandings.

Ever since then the municipality of Oas has been a very peaceful place. Its people have learned the true meaning of democracy. They have learned to cooperate with civil authorities in the promotion of peace and order. There used to have been political disputes and misunderstandings during political campaign periods, but these lasted only as long as the political campaign were in full swing. But the citizens as well as the local government officials have learned always to cooperate with one another.

The coming of the Japanese in the year 1941 brought a change in the local government of the town. As usual there was a municipal mayor; but the municipal mayor of the former Commonwealth government was not recognized. A new Mayor appointed by the Japanese

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military government took charge of the local government. This so-called head of the municipality was simply a figurehead. He could not, unlike the former mayors, do anything without the dictations of the Japanese Military officials. He was simply an instrument in the execution of Japanese laws. The mayor of Oas during the Japanese occupation, or during the period of World War II were Mayors Amando Ramin; succeeded by Mayor Reginaldo Torres; and the third was Mayor Pedro Eva who at present is the mayor elect of the town,

Political conflicts were not common in the town even during the Japanese occupation. One incident was most outstanding, however. This was an encounter between Japanese patrol officers and a group of guerrillas who were on their way home from a reconnaissance trip. This was the cause of the burning of a portion of the town and the evacuation of almost all the town’s inhabitants to the near-by mountains. Another incident was the zonification of male citizens of the town. This was caused by the efforts of the Japanese soldiers to recover certain losses in terms of ammunitions and was supplies which the townspeople were entirely innocent. In fact the military officers later realized their mistakes. Instead they found out that the town was most peaceful and submissive to new regulations.

No Japanese detachment was assigned to stay in this town even during the darkest days of the invasion. In fact this was the only municipality in the province, if not the entire region, without it. There has always been political peace in this town ever since then.

The following is a list of municipal mayors who stood as elected leaders of the town since the coming of the Americans up to the period of World War II:

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The coming of the Americans in the year 1898 was not the definite starting point in the educational development of the town of Oas. The Americans found in this town, already educated citizens

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although there were very great and marked defects in the system of education then prevalent. Of course one outstanding fact was that not all the citizens enjoyed the benefits of through education. Rich citizens of the community were those who were given the benefits of the educational system. The poorer ones who could not afford to pay the high rate of tuition fees in the educational centers had to content themselves with the local instructions given by the parish priest and his assistants.

A private school run by the “Cura” was the established school which the Americans found in this town. This was definitely for the common people. When the Americans were finally able to establish their government in the town, they at once worked on the speedy organization of the public schools. A policy of attraction greatly helped them in their aim. At the start the people of the municipality were afraid to send their children to the American schools for fear of the corporal punishments of the high fees which they knew were prevalent in the old Spanish grammar schools. But the new administration definitely stressed the fact that education under the new government was free for all; and that the school heads did not have mercenary aims for background.

Unlike during the Spanish times, children of school age were not allowed to roam around the streets during school hours. Going to school was a requirement in the municipality; and children caught wasting their time in play, were put in prison for a few hours to reprimand them that what they were doing was not right. Papers, pencils, and other school needs were distributed free in the schools. The Americans were the first teachers. But subsequently Filipinos were trained to help in the teaching job.

The first school established during the American regime was a free Primary school financed by the municipal government. This first school was in a few years supplanted by the establishment of an intermediate school. This complete elementary education, well administered and progressive maintained its stand up to the year 1941.

Hand in hand with elementary education, the so-called kindergarten schools run by private individuals were still prevalent. Even up to present times these private individuals, pre-English school instructions are still prevalent. These kindergarten instruction are to Oaseño parents indispensable steps to the entrance into the primary schools. No parents allows a child to enroll in the primary school if he has not yet had his kindergarten learning.

This kindergarten learning under the tutorship of a “Maestra” of a “Maestra” consists primarily of a full knowledge of the catholic doctrine; a thorough knowledge of the “Cartilla” or the “Caton Cristiano”; and later a fundamental knowledge of the first principle of writing and arithmetic. Usually the language used in these kindergarten schools is spanish. At every recently, however a little English has been introduced into the kindergarten schools by more modernized kindergarten teachers.

The census of education for the year 1940 gave out the

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fact that in the municipality of Oas 8,245 children of school age were in existence in the town; and 29.7% of these were attending school. These in turn incurred a total expenditure of ₱22,686.89 which was to be deducted from the municipality’s school fund amounting to ₱25,783.50. All these figures were the results of an extensive educational census for the year 1940. But with the laps of time, much yet had been done by the citizens of the town to further the development of education in the municipality.

In the year 1941 the Japanese came to the Philippines. Hence a temporary lull in the educational functions of the municipality could not be avoided. This of course did not last long. Even though the citizens refused in one way or another to cooperate in the establishment of the new government, they did not refuse to cooperate in the revival of educational activities in the town. Many children were sent to the emergency schools then established. Private individuals, tried their best to establish a secondary, private school. This plan materialized in the establishment of the LIPOLI, a private high school for boys and girls. Later on a public high school was established in cooperation with the efforts of the local emergency government. Although short-lived, these schools did help in the shortening of the long period of educational unrest brought about by the hard times. There were also established Nippongo schools to which students interested in the language of the new rulers went earnestly.

After the Liberation a definite permanent and government recognized school was established in the town. This was the Saint Michael Academy, the still existing private school in the municipality.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The historians of the early American occupation gave the following facts about the conditions of the town of Oas in connection to its economic standpoint; “The town had a total extension of 26,190 hectares of arable land with a rich and highly fertile soil. Only 8,892 parcels have been surveyed by local owners in their own native way. Rice is the chief agricultural product of the locality. This is planted on double crop. The production of this crop is large enough to provide the inhabitants with food the whole year round. The first planting season begins in April and the harvest season takes between the months of September and November. The second planting immediately begins after the harvest and later harvested in the Months of April and May.

Old agricultural implements and appliance are extensively used in the town.

The Americans found, besides a highly developed system of agriculture, a well developed system of trade. A report on the economic and industrial development of the town of Oas in the year 1920 stated the following facts: “The town is rich in corn, sweet potatoes, coconuts, cassava, sugar cane, bananas, and vegetables. Its forests produce great quantities of timber, bejuces, and bamboos, and its pasture lands abound in carabaos and a little cattle,

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One of the most extensively industrialized products of the town is the “Poto” a crisp rice cake cooked by steam and later toasted in live coals. The pot making and manufacture of other earthenware in the barrio of Saban is a big revenue-giving industry. It supplies practically the entire Bicol region with earthen potteries jointly with the town of Tiwi since this is the only town next to Oas which produces earthen products.

The town holds two market days in a week.... Tuesdays and Fridays. Merchants from the neighboring towns and barrios flock to the town to sell their products such as fish, textiles, and other finished products and to buy vegetables, coconuts, meat, and especially rice and corn.

With but a few exceptions the retail trade in the town is extensively in the hands of small chinese dealers. The organization of merchants and retailers as well as consumers’ cooperative association in the town, the business is being shifted by low degrees from the Chinese hands to those of business-minded citizens of the town.”

The years 1930–35 brought a depression in the business life of the town. A new industrialised products, however, came into existence. This was the agas or bariw-bariw basket which found a way into the markets of Manila and other cities. But this did not help to revive the depression.

Several roads made a perfect network connecting the town to other places since the coming of the Americans. But the recent improvements due to political aid served only to paralyze the commercial life of the town. While the construction of new highways in the third District of Albay in the years 1930–1935 had been hailed generally as a marked stride toward progress, the town of Oas had been very little if any affected by such progress. In fact this progress was mainly responsible for the dying status of the town’s business life. It had totally diverted the course of trade of the town to other neighboring centers, thereby killing the commercial life that used to exist in the municipality. A cursory analysis of the situation proved a very plain reason for the business deterioration.

The Ligao-Panganiran Road caused traders and merchants of Oas to shift their trade to Ligao. The Sabido Road or the road to Masipi had practically absorbed all the merchandise and articles of trade coming from the barrios of San Agustin, San Ramon, Tobog, and Balogo all barrios of Oas in the direction of the market of Polangui, on account of its accessibility. The Bacolod road on the western end of the town gave facility to the merchants of Busac and Manga or Saban to bring their products to the markets of Bacolod more comfortably than to the central market of Oas. In other words, those improvements proved to be a one-sided and most partial proposition that benefited the towns of Libon, Polangui and Ligao but left the town of Oas literally damaged and crippled, commercially speaking. Far from proving a blessing, these new improvements in the district had been a potent factor in the gradual weakening of the town’s trade. As a result of these damages, the internal

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revenue of the town had been badly affected to say the least.

A little improvement in the business life of the town came about when the Japanese came to the Islands. “Being a rice growing region Oas became the center of most of the trade from many parts of the Islands. Since then trade became much improved. Thus even up to the present a little change for the better has been effected. The people of the town hope for improvement in the days to come.

RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENT

The town of Oas can very well be the pride and joy, the bulwark and the standard-bearer of the catholic church in the Philippines. There is no gainsaying the fact that this town since its creation up to the present time has always been essentially catholic, in point of religious belief. So much so that one might venture to say that catholicism is in its blood. Long and uninterrupted tradition attests this fact. Because of this deeply-rooted devotion to their one and only religion.... the catholic religion, the 23,131 inhabitants of the town have always been a sterile soil for any other religious creed.

The Americans in the year 1898 came to the Philippines and brought with them the Protestant religion. Now and then other religions have interrupted the religious practices in the town and have attempted desperately to gain foothold in the town. But these died away no sooner than they have arrived.

Not much can be said about the religious development of the town because the one and only catholic religion has always prevailed. The latest census undertaken by the Commonwealth government in January 1939 on the status of religion in the municipality of Oas reveals the following facts and figures:

The town of Oas became marked as a “Levitic Town” especially after the disappearance of the Spanish curates in the Philippines. No epithet applies to the town more aptly that of Levitic. This is so, because of the remarkable if not the greatest number of priests it has produced. Records of the Seminary in Naga, Camarines Sur, show that since its establishment this town has produced more priests that any single town in any single year. A conservative estimate places the total number of graduate priests from this town in the neighborhood of 250. This figure easily rises when account is taken of the many young “Seminaristas” now actually enrolled in the seminary. While other professional callings have not been unheeded in this town, that of priesthood has always towered above all others in point of numerical number.

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SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The American regime which started in the year 1898 entirely changed the social conditions in this particular town. The people who were for a long time made to understand great barrios between the wealthy and the poor, finally learned that the American government—the democratic government, gave no social distinctions even in the participation in the government. This was very well marked, especially in the establishment of free public schools for all inhabitants without giving regard to wealth or social position. Unlike during the Spanish times, the American regime brought about equality among the masses. People of the town were called on to participate in government affairs. Rich or poor were allowed, under no penalty of sneering or imprisonment, to associate with people of the higher rank. Both the rich and the poor had a voice in the government. Both the rich and the poor were gathered in the same schoolhouses and given the same rights and privileges as well as the same educational training.

Since then democracy has been the chief factor which the Americans have always emphasized in all activities, both social or academic or economic or political. To further the extent of democratic ways of life suffrage was extended to women. Ever since then the people of the town of Oas have learned that democracy in social life is both a gift and a blessing.

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REPORT ON HISTORICAL DATA

# 23 Names of persons who held ranking Official Positions in the Community with the dates of their tenure:

SPANISH REGIME

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SHORT LIVE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

AMERICAN OCCUPATION

JAPANESE OCCUPATION

LIBERATION

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DESTRUCTION TO LIVES, PROPERTIES, AND INSTITUTIONS,
SPECIALLY DURING THE WARS OF 1896-1900 and 1941-1945

Scanning back the pages of history of the Philippines Archipelago, we found out that the Spanish Regime was equal if not worse than that of the Japanese government. The Spanish Regime was characterized as the years of terror, slavery, tyranny and barbarism.

Of course the Spaniards never had their quarters in the town of Oas. However, they usually visit the town of Oas with their soldiers walking and the General or Captain riding on a horse back. If on their way they meet civilians without giving them respect or fails to salute any one of the soldiers, especially the General or Captain, they are given a chastisement in the form of a whip by a long “latigo” or “colata.”

A curfew hour was ordered by the Spanish General in the town of Oas up to 10:00 o'clock, p.m. However, they are also allowed to go out their respective abode if they have with them lamp or light of any sort. Failure on the part of the civilians to follow the order would mean an arrest by the Guardia Civil and placed them in prison the whole night, as punishment for the violence of the said order of the General or Captain.

As aforementioned, the town of Oas has no quarter of the Spaniards, but to ensure the well being of the civilians and protect their properties the General thought it best to appoint guardia civil two in number, as suggested by the lieutenant. The lieutenant appointed two men of the town whom they believed could execute their orders. The idea of the General was so nice that the town folks expected the two guardia civil to be good, too. The expectation of the civilians did never came out true. It was the reverse. The two guardia civil were very cruel, fierce, and barbarous. However, the civilians were just keeping the abuses for themselves, until the time when all the Filipinos, headed by different societies revolted against the Spanish government. These different societies were controlled by only one man - General Emilio Aguinaldo, First President of the Philippine Republic.

This was not all - Another man who hails from the town of Polangui, Albay, Philippines, was appointed “cabo” in the town of Oas. He was worst that the two guardia civil or lieutenant. He hammered the town folks on their heads or struck on them on any part of their body with a piece of wood - “colata.” And, even when they do not commit mistake if the cabo wants to inflict punishment he does so because he could not be punished by any court for the simple reason that there was no court or any sort of tribunal to decide on whether he is guilty or not guilty of the crime charged. For this reason the people of the town of Oas were very timid, shy, and coward.

The citizens of the town of Oas were ordered to buy cedula and if they fail to buy they were committed to hard labor for fifteen days on the road or make dichers. This kind of punishment is made applicable to men only. If a woman fails to buy cedula she is committed

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to work for fifteen days by sorting abaca or palay mixed with tiki-tiki or rice-husks. If they can not work they are required to pay the amount of P5.00. The Cedula is called Realover or Sixta Clase. Those required to buy cedula ranges from 18 up – made applicable to both men and women.

When the Spanish Regime was almost ending, commits serious offenses. If a man is caught, the verdugo will have that man put his head between the two big pieces of wood. Then these two pieces of wood is pressed together thus the man puts out his tongue and meets his last breath. Another kind of punishment used by the Spaniards was the pouring of water into the mouth of a person through a pipe or rubber tube. When his stomach is as big as a drum he will be laid on the ground and a “cuadrillero” or guardia civil will step on his stomach, thus the water comes out from his mouth, nose and ears.

PART II

The world was thrown into chaos when the totalitarian form of government wanted to conquer the whole world. Through the able leadership but false pretenses of the Austrian Juggernaut, Adolf Hitler, the neighboring countries in Europe was conquered by his force of arms. It further expanded in the East by indoctrinating the Japanese people, making them believe that the East is for Eastern people and the West for the Western people. That idea was inculcated in the minds of the Japanese people, more so to the school children years before the war – World War II.

The Japanese people was distributed throughout the West, more so in the Philippines, to gain foothold. They pretended to be engaged in business, others as farmers, and still others as carpenters. When the Japanese people thought that they were gaining grounds in their respective assignments, they began to communicate with the “Emperor of Japan” that they were ready to fight. They fought the neighboring countries in the East as we have expected, while their ally Germany was fighting in Europe. The Japanese Imperial Forces gained ground and practically conquered all the countries in the east. And finally they reached the Philippines on the 8th of December, 1941.

The Japanese Imperial Forces landed in the Bicol Region, in Legaspi, to be more specific on the 12th day of December, 1941 without Resistance. Upon the landing of the Japanese Forces many Filipinos turned their back from their mother country – United States, believing that the United States Armed Forces will never be back, while others were faithful to the United States. This attitude of the Filipinos were increased in the years 1942–43 when no communication from the United States could reach our fair isles. In spite of the policy of attraction offered by the Japanese soldiers to the Filipinos, few volunteered to serve the Japanese Government either as civilian employee or as a member of the Philippine Constabulary forces, but many volunteered to enlist in the guerrilla outfit.

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Upon the landing of the Japanese Forces in Legaspi, some of the forces were stationed in Legaspi and another in Ligao. In Ligao they occupied the Primary School Building and used it as their garrison. The garrison is five kilometers away from the town of Oas, so that any news against them may reach the garrison in a few minutes. The soldiers could be in Oas in 2 or 3 minutes continuous ride. People of the neighboring towns in Ligao were so afraid of the Japanese soldiers because before they could not go to Legaspi or to Naga without passing the Ligao Garrison, unless they pass Wasisi Road. They were obliged to bow their heads to the sentinel of the Japanese soldiers in Ligao. More so when the Japanese began castigating civilians left and right if the desire of the Japanese soldiers could not be followed.

Once in a while these soldiers were sent to Oas for patrol. During the early days of the Japanese in Oas, they were so friendly, that the people of Oas began to concentrate in the Poblacion. This attitude of the Oaseños did not last long because the Japanese soldiers committed abuses which no Filipino could bear. In one instance, when the soldiers of Ligao needed for their consumption meat, they just come to Oas and get the domesticated animals of the poor Oaseños with or without their consent. If they resist giving these domesticated animals, they were asked to give their lives. The poor Oaseños prefer to give their domesticated animals rather than to give their lives. When a certain house is reached by a Japanese soldier and no one is found therein they usually get anything that is of prime necessities.

In the afternoon of July, 1944, the Japanese soldiers surprised the inhabitants of San Juan, Oas, Albay, by firing on the people of barrio. They were asking the civilians to search for Mayor Virgilio Rempillo, if they say they do not know they simply received a blow on the face, left and right. Practically the barrio folks suffered a lot from the hands of the Japanese soldiers. Virgilio, after knowing all the suffering of the people of the barrio gave up his life to the Japanese soldiers, only to see his relatives members of his family, friends and sympathizers no more. Another instance was the coming of the Japanese soldiers early in the morning of October, 1944, about 4:00 o’clock in the morning. It was market day. The people of the market were encircled and no one was allowed to go out. They captured innocent civilians of Oas and was tortured in the Ligao Garrison and were beheaded by the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese proverb: “to kill rather than to be killed, and to confiscate rather than to be confiscated.” In the same month and year the Japanese soldiers came again to the town of Oas in search of guerillas. Not able to capture any member of the guerilla forces they took with them every male person they meet. About four hundred innocent civilians were brought to the Ligao Garrison from. These men were placed in the playgrounds of the Ligao Garrison from 9:00 o’clock in the evening to 11:00 o’clock the following day without food. Their faces were so pale that they could hardly walk. Aside from the fact that they were not given food, they were given punishment which no human being could bear.

When the Japanese soldiers heard that the American Forces were coming back to the rescue of the American and Filipinos, as well, the more they become so strict with the Filipino civilians and anyone met

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by the “Japanese soldier in the town of Oas” is brought to the Ligao Garrison only to be liquidated by these barbarous men of Japan. The worst thing they did to the town of Oas was putting the town in flame-burning of the houses so to speak.

These were some of the abuses committed by the Spaniards and Japanese soldiers during their respective stay in the Philippines.

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HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE
TOWN AND CITY
IMPORTANT FACTS? INCIDENT’S OR EVENTS
THAT TOOK PLACE
DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

In order to understand the historical and cultural life of the town of Oas during the Spanish occupation, it is necessary to review briefly the pre-Spanish culture and civilization of the town of Oas as the starting point and background of this narration.

Long before the advent of the Spanish in the Far East, the Oaseños had their own cultural and civilization of purely Asian origin. It came from Asian sources —. The negrito, Indonesian, Malayan, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic culture. Out of the mixture of these Asian culture sprang the culture and civilization of the pre-Spanish population of Oas.

SETTLEMENT AND CIVILIZATION:

The Oaseño just before the advent of the Spanish occupation, were already a civilized people living in groups of settlements called barangay along the banks of the Oas River. They had their permanent homes and wore clothes. Their homes were constructed of wood, bamboo and palms leaves. Their clothes were Morona (camisa chino) for men and sarial putol short pants, the loose sleeved camisa called budo, and the tapis worn by women around their waist. These clothes were usually made of hemp, binorong (cotton) and in some cases silk obtained from early traders by barter. The principal staple of food was rice cooked in earthen pots made in Saban, a barrio of Oas, or bamboo tubes. The other kinds of food were vegetables, roots, sugar, spices, fish, birds chicken, hogs and carabaos.

GOVERNMENT:

The government was essentially simple. The barangay consisting of several families was ruled by a datu who combined the work of the chief executive, legislative and judge in time of peace and commander in-chief in time of war. The position of the datu was hereditary. The laws were mostly oral ugali but there were also written laws promulgated by bandillos crier who announced them to the people.

RELIGION:

The religion of the ancient Oaseños was paganism. The supreme God was bathala the creator of heaven, earth and men. Below him were lesser gods and goddesses.

SUPERSTITIONS:

Like any other peoples, the Oaseño believed in witches, such as the asuang who assumed the form of a dog, a bird or any other animal and devoured human flesh. They also believed in the patianac who sucked the baby’s entrails with his long probosis. They also be-

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