When people talk about fiestas in Albay, the bigger names often come up first: Magayon Festival, Ibalong Festival, Cagsawa Festival, or the town celebrations of places closer to Mayon Volcano.
But head west from Legazpi City and you’ll find Oas, a town with a fiesta tradition that deserves much more attention.
Oas celebrates St. Michael the Archangel as its patron saint, but there’s an interesting detail visitors should know: the town’s traditional patronal fiesta is celebrated on May 8, while another major religious and cultural celebration honoring St. Michael takes place on September 28–29 through the Himoloan Festival. Parish references specifically identify May 8 as the local feast day, while government tourism references list Himoloan Festival every September 28–29.
Then there is another celebration that has become closely associated with Oas: Puto Festival.
That festival celebrates something much more everyday but equally important to local identity—the famous puto de Oas, a rice delicacy that generations of Oasnons have prepared and passed down.
So rather than having just one celebration worth knowing about, Oas effectively gives travelers several opportunities during the year to experience its food, faith and culture.
If you’re planning to visit Oas in 2026, here’s a complete guide to its fiesta traditions, St. Michael the Archangel, Puto Festival, Himoloan Festival and the places you can explore around this part of Albay.
Content
Oas Fiesta 2026 Quick Guide
| Fiesta Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Municipality | Oas |
| Province | Albay |
| Patron Saint | St. Michael the Archangel |
| Traditional Town/Parish Fiesta | May 8 |
| 2026 Date | Friday, May 8, 2026 |
| Major May Celebration | Puto Festival |
| Himoloan Festival | September 28–29 |
| 2026 Dates | Monday–Tuesday, September 28–29 |
| Himoloan Highlight | Street presentation and Carrosa Contest |
| Famous Local Delicacy | Puto de Oas |
| Main Church | St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi |
| Distance from Legazpi City | Roughly 33–35 kilometers by road |
When Is the Oas Fiesta 2026?
This question is a little more complicated than it sounds.
The traditional town and parish fiesta of Oas is celebrated every May 8 in honor of St. Michael the Archangel.
ParishPH identifies May 8 as the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Iraya Norte, Oas. An older history of Oas Church likewise notes that the town traditionally celebrates its fiesta on May 8.
In 2026, May 8 falls on a Friday.
Around this period, Oas also celebrates the Puto Festival, which highlights its famous local rice delicacy. References to previous festival calendars place the Puto Festival from late April through May 8, while festival materials confirm that a 2026 edition was developed in cooperation with the municipality’s tourism team.
But September brings another important celebration.
Why Does Oas Celebrate Again in September?
September 29 is the universal Catholic feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael the Archangels.
Because St. Michael is the patron of Oas, the town also marks this date with a separate religious and cultural celebration.
That celebration is known as Himoloan Festival.
Government references list Himoloan Festival on September 28–29 in Oas, with activities centered on devotion to St. Michael the Archangel.
So if you’ve encountered different Oas fiesta dates online, that is the reason.
May 8 is Oas’ traditional local patronal fiesta.
September 28–29 is the Himoloan Festival period associated with the Church’s September feast of St. Michael and the Archangels.
Both are part of the town’s religious identity.
Oas Fiesta Dates to Remember in 2026
For travelers, the easiest way to understand the calendar is:
May 8, 2026
The traditional Oas town and parish fiesta honoring St. Michael the Archangel.
Late April to May 8
The period traditionally associated with Puto Festival activities. Previous published calendars have placed the festival around April 27 to May 8.
September 28–29, 2026
Himoloan Festival, another celebration honoring St. Michael the Archangel, with September 29 corresponding to the Catholic Feast of the Archangels.
If you’re specifically looking for the traditional Filipino town-fiesta atmosphere—family reunions, food, Masses and homes welcoming guests—May 8 is the date to remember.
If you’re more interested in Himoloan’s religious street presentation and carroza tradition, plan around September 28–29.
Who Is the Patron Saint of Oas?
The patron saint of Oas is St. Michael the Archangel.
He’s one of the most recognizable figures in Catholic religious imagery.
St. Michael is usually depicted wearing armor, carrying a sword or spear, and defeating a dragon or demon beneath his feet. The image represents the triumph of good over evil and St. Michael’s role as defender of God’s people.
That symbolism has made him one of the most widely venerated saints and archangels in Catholic communities around the Philippines.
In Oas, devotion to St. Michael has been part of town life for generations.
And during fiesta season, that devotion moves beyond the church.
Images of saints appear on decorated carrosas. Families attend Mass. Barangays participate in activities. People who have moved elsewhere return home.
It’s that combination of religion and community that gives the Oas Fiesta its character.
St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church in Oas
The main religious landmark of the town is St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church in Barangay Iraya Norte.
The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi.
Oas has a long Catholic history extending back to the Spanish colonial period. Historical accounts associate the early Christian community with Franciscan missionaries working in Bicol during the early 1600s.
The church building itself has experienced repeated destruction and rebuilding.
Historical accounts describe an early church made from lighter materials. A fire damaged the church and rectory in 1866, after which reconstruction took place. Earthquake and typhoon damage followed during the late 19th century, and another severe typhoon damaged the church in 1947. Later restoration eventually resulted in the church seen by generations of modern Oasnons.
That’s something worth keeping in mind when visiting.
The church isn’t simply a backdrop for the fiesta.
It’s part of the story of how the community has repeatedly rebuilt after disasters—a familiar theme throughout Bicol.
What Is Puto Festival?
If St. Michael represents the religious side of Oas, Puto Festival introduces you to its culinary identity.
And yes, the name really does come from puto.
But puto de Oas isn’t necessarily the soft, fluffy white rice cake that may immediately come to mind.
The Oas version has developed its own identity.
Puto de Oas, sometimes called putong bugas, is a traditional rice-based delicacy closely associated with the municipality. Local preparations use rice and other ingredients to produce a firmer rice cake or biscuit-like product, and the delicacy has become sufficiently important that Oas created a festival around it.
The Province of Albay itself lists Puto Oas among the province’s festival-linked delicacies.
Why Celebrate Puto?
That’s actually what makes local festivals interesting.
A dish that seems simple to outsiders can represent years of livelihood, family recipes and everyday community life.
Puto de Oas is one of those foods.
Recipes and preparation techniques are passed through families, while the finished products are sold locally and elsewhere in Bicol.
The festival therefore isn’t only saying, “We have good puto.”
It’s saying, “This is ours.”
And when a food becomes that closely identified with a place, it becomes part of tourism too.
When Is Puto Festival?
Older Albay festival calendars generally place Puto Festival from around April 27 to May 8. Other editions have varied slightly—for example, the 2023 festival ran from April 29 through May 8.
That brings the festival directly into Oas’ May 8 patronal fiesta.
A 2026 Puto Festival visual-identity project was also documented as having been developed in collaboration with the municipality’s tourism team, confirming that the festival continued in 2026.
Individual schedules can change from year to year, so travelers interested in a specific event should still check current announcements from the Municipality of Oas.
What Happens During Puto Festival?
The program naturally changes, but the celebration usually mixes food promotion with the familiar ingredients of a Philippine municipal festival.
Expect community competitions, sports activities, cultural programs, entertainment and events highlighting puto de Oas.
Previous festival programs have even included chess tournaments, a nice connection to Oas’ young chess talent and community sports programs.
And of course, there’s puto.
Lots of it.
You may encounter traditional versions alongside newer interpretations created to show that local food doesn’t necessarily have to remain frozen in one form.
For visitors, this is the best time to actually taste the product instead of simply reading about it.
Oas, Catriona Gray and the Town’s Festival Connection
Oas also became much better known nationally because of its connection with Catriona Gray’s family.
In 2018, the town prepared a homecoming celebration following her Binibining Pilipinas victory, with plans to hold activities around the Puto Festival period.
That brought additional national attention to Oas and its May celebrations.
But the fiesta story here goes much deeper than celebrity connections.
The traditions around May 8 and September 29 were already embedded in local life long before that.
What Is Himoloan Festival?
Now we come to the other major part of the Oas fiesta calendar.
Himoloan Festival takes place every September 28–29.
The word “Himoloan” is associated with the idea of an offering—described in government festival references through the Bicol terms pag-atang or tinagba.
That meaning tells you practically everything you need to know about the festival.
Himoloan is about giving.
Traditionally, devotees honor St. Michael by offering not only material things but also the abilities and talents they believe God has given them.
That turns singing, dancing, creativity, decorating and community participation into forms of thanksgiving.
It’s a nice idea when you think about it.
Instead of simply bringing an object to the church, the community itself becomes part of the offering.
Himoloan Festival Highlights
Two activities are particularly associated with Himoloan.
Himoloan Street Presentation
The street presentation brings performers into the town center in a public expression of faith, culture and community.
This is the more colorful side of Himoloan and the part that naturally attracts visitors and photographers.
But unlike a festival built around an agricultural crop or historical battle, Himoloan’s underlying theme remains religious.
It’s an offering.
Carrosa Contest
This may be the most distinctive part of the festival.
Participating barangays bring decorated carrosas or andas carrying images of patron saints.
Government descriptions note that participants decorate them using agricultural produce and locally available native materials. Participation has historically extended not only to Oas barangays but also to nearby communities.
The result combines Catholic devotional tradition with local creativity.
You have religious images at the center, but surrounding them are fruits, crops, leaves, flowers and materials reflecting the livelihood and environment of the community that created the carroza.
It’s exactly the sort of tradition that gives a local festival its own personality.
Puto Festival vs. Himoloan Festival: What’s the Difference?
This is probably the biggest source of confusion for anyone researching Oas.
They are different celebrations.
Puto Festival
Usually celebrated around late April through May 8.
It highlights puto de Oas, the town’s local culinary heritage and the traditional May fiesta season.
Himoloan Festival
Celebrated September 28–29.
It is a faith-centered cultural festival honoring St. Michael the Archangel and highlighting the idea of offering or thanksgiving.
Oas Town Fiesta
Traditionally celebrated May 8 in honor of St. Michael the Archangel.
So yes, St. Michael is involved in both May and September.
But the May date is the traditional local fiesta, while the September observance corresponds with the wider Church feast of the Archangels and Himoloan Festival.
Fiesta Food: Don’t Leave Without Trying Puto de Oas
There is no point writing an Oas travel guide without talking about food again.
Because if you’re visiting during the fiesta, this is exactly when you should look for puto de Oas.
Unlike the common soft steamed puto sold all over the Philippines, versions associated with Oas can have a firmer, toasted or biscuit-like quality.
Rice remains the foundation, and variations may use ingredients such as sugar, milk, vanilla or egg yolk.
It’s the kind of pasalubong that actually tells somebody where you’ve been.
A generic keychain says “I traveled.”
A bag or box of a town’s signature food says “I went to Oas.”
That’s always the better souvenir.
What Else Is Oas Known For?
Oas has much more going for it than the fiesta.
A 2026 cultural-mapping study published through the Department of Education identified a surprisingly broad collection of local heritage resources.
Among those are St. Michael the Archangel Parish, the Oas plaza kiosk, ancestral structures, local dams, Maguindara Falls, Trinity Island and Antutumaw Falls. The same study also identifies Puto Festival and Himoloan Festival among Oas’ important intangible cultural traditions.
That means a fiesta trip can easily become a wider Oas trip.
Explore the Poblacion
Begin around the town center.
This is where you’ll find the church, plaza and much of the fiesta activity.
During celebration days, you can walk between religious activities, food stalls and community programs without constantly needing transportation.
See the Oas Plaza Kiosk
The old plaza kiosk is recognized as one of the town’s built cultural icons.
Structures like this rarely appear on national tourist lists, but they are exactly what gives old provincial town centers their character.
Look Beyond the Town Center
Nature travelers can explore farther into the municipality, where Oas’ cultural mapping has identified attractions including Maguindara Falls, Antutumaw Falls and Trinity Island.
These places won’t necessarily have the polished visitor infrastructure of Albay’s most famous attractions, so it’s best to check road access, guides and weather conditions locally before heading out.
How to Get to Oas from Legazpi City
Oas is relatively accessible from Legazpi City.
Road-distance estimates place the municipality roughly 33 to 35 kilometers from Legazpi, with private-vehicle travel potentially taking around 35–40 minutes when traffic is light.
Public transportation also connects this part of Albay with Legazpi.
Buses, vans and jeepneys travel along the highway corridor serving towns west of Legazpi, including Ligao, Oas and Polangui.
When commuting, tell the driver or dispatcher you’re heading to Oas proper rather than simply assuming every bus serving the general corridor enters the poblacion.
During fiesta week, allow additional travel time.
Traffic around the town center can naturally become heavier during parades, processions and evening events.
How to Get to Oas from Manila
For travelers coming from Metro Manila, you have two basic approaches.
By Air
Fly to Bicol International Airport in Daraga.
From the airport, continue by road toward Oas.
Because Oas is west of Legazpi, you can arrange a private vehicle or travel to a transport terminal serving Ligao, Oas and the western Albay corridor.
By Bus
Several long-distance buses travel from Metro Manila toward Bicol.
Depending on the service, you may be able to get off near Oas or along the main highway corridor rather than going all the way to Legazpi.
Confirm your drop-off point with the bus company before booking because routes and stops vary.
Best Time to Visit Oas in 2026
Your best date depends on what kind of experience you want.
Visit Around May 8 for the Traditional Fiesta
Choose this period if you want the main Oas town-fiesta experience.
You’ll get the patronal celebration of St. Michael together with the atmosphere surrounding Puto Festival.
This is probably the best choice for first-time visitors.
Visit September 28–29 for Himoloan Festival
Choose September if the carroza tradition and religious cultural performances interest you more.
September 29 is especially meaningful because it coincides with the Catholic Feast of the Archangels.
Visit Both
If you live in Bicol or travel through Albay regularly, they’re different enough that you could experience both.
May introduces you to Oas through food and traditional town-fiesta life.
September shows you another side of the same devotion through Himoloan.
Oas Fiesta Travel Tips
Arrive early if you’re attending a major religious event or street presentation. Provincial-town roads aren’t designed for large festival crowds, and parking near the church can become difficult.
Bring cash as well. Digital payments are increasingly common, but temporary food stalls, tricycle drivers and small-town vendors may still operate primarily with cash.
Wear something comfortable. You’ll probably spend more time walking than expected, especially around the poblacion.
If you’re attending Mass, processions or the Himoloan carroza activities, remember that these are genuine religious traditions rather than staged tourist shows.
And because you’re in Albay, always pay attention to current weather and disaster advisories.
The province lives with typhoons, heavy rain and volcanic hazards as part of everyday reality. In fact, the provincial government cancelled or postponed several major events earlier in 2026 because of Mayon Volcano unrest and fuel-related concerns, which is a reminder that local festival schedules can change when public safety requires it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oas Fiesta 2026
When is Oas Fiesta 2026?
The traditional Oas town and parish fiesta is celebrated on May 8 in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. In 2026, May 8 falls on a Friday.
Who is the patron saint of Oas, Albay?
The patron saint is St. Michael the Archangel.
What festival is Oas famous for?
Oas is associated with both Puto Festival and Himoloan Festival.
Puto Festival celebrates puto de Oas and usually takes place around the May fiesta season, while Himoloan Festival is held September 28–29 in honor of St. Michael the Archangel.
When is Himoloan Festival 2026?
Himoloan Festival is traditionally held September 28–29. In 2026, those dates fall on Monday and Tuesday.
What does Himoloan mean?
Himoloan refers to an offering and has been explained through the terms pag-atang or tinagba. The festival emphasizes offering one’s blessings and talents in thanksgiving to God and in honor of St. Michael.
What is the highlight of Himoloan Festival?
Traditional highlights include the Himoloan street presentation and the Carrosa Contest, where decorated religious carrosas or andas are presented by participating communities.
When is Puto Festival in Oas?
Published festival calendars have traditionally placed Puto Festival around late April through May 8, although exact activity dates can vary each year.
What is puto de Oas?
Puto de Oas is a rice-based local delicacy associated with Oas. Some versions have a firmer or toasted texture compared with the soft steamed puto commonly found elsewhere in the Philippines.
Is May 8 or September 29 the real Oas fiesta?
May 8 is traditionally regarded as the local town and parish fiesta.
September 29 is also observed in honor of St. Michael because it is the Church’s Feast of the Archangels, and Oas celebrates Himoloan Festival around September 28–29.
So both dates are important, but they represent somewhat different traditions.
How far is Oas from Legazpi City?
Oas is roughly 33–35 kilometers from Legazpi by road, depending on the route and your starting point.
What else can I see in Oas?
Local cultural mapping identifies attractions and heritage sites including St. Michael the Archangel Parish, the Oas plaza kiosk, Maguindara Falls, Antutumaw Falls and Trinity Island.
Final Thoughts
Oas is a good example of why Philippine fiestas can be much more complicated—and much more interesting—than simply looking up a feast date.
Here, one patron saint connects several different celebrations.
May 8 gives Oas its traditional town fiesta in honor of St. Michael the Archangel.
Around the same period, Puto Festival turns the town’s signature delicacy into a celebration of local food, livelihood and identity.
Then September comes.
On September 28 and 29, Himoloan Festival brings St. Michael back to the center of community life, this time through offerings, street presentations and beautifully decorated carrosas.
Food on one side.
Faith on the other.
And underneath both is the same town telling its own story.
For a first-time visitor, I’d choose the May fiesta and Puto Festival period because you’ll get the broadest introduction to Oas. Taste the puto, visit St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church, walk around the poblacion and see what the celebration means to residents beyond the official program.
But if you happen to be traveling around Albay in late September 2026, don’t overlook Oas either.
September 28–29 gives you Himoloan Festival, one of those smaller local celebrations where the connection between Catholic devotion, agriculture, creativity and barangay life is still easy to see.
And sometimes those are the fiestas that stay with you longest—not because they’re the biggest, but because they still feel deeply connected to the people celebrating them.
