268. Post-Carnival Days: Miss Luzon 1936, AMPARO KARAGDAG, Actress

KARAGDAGANG TALENTO.  Acting became Amparo Karagdag's post-Carnival career. She had a short-lived sting playing leading ladies to movie icons Leopoldo Salcedo, Carlos Padilla and Pempe Padilla Jr.

After Amparo Reyes Karagdag doffed the Miss Luzon 1936 crown from her head, she chose a stellar path by becoming an actress of note, in a career that spanned for just a decade. Amparing was immediately snapped by Director Vicente Salumbides to appear in a starring role in the movie "Anghel sa Tukso", produced  by his own studio, Salumbides Film Co. Ltd.

Salumbides was known to have squired the Carnival for possible movie talents. He cast Miss Cotabato, 1926 in a movie, gave her the screen name, Sofia Lota, and turned her into a major star. He even married Rosario Panganiban, Miss Pampanga 1926, who also appeared in several of his movies.

Amparo starred alongside leading man, Carlos Padilla, with Dina Valle and Vilma Valle providing able support. It was directed by Nemesio Caravana.  "Anghel na Tukso" was already being advertised as early as 1939 but it only premiered the next year.

In late 1940, she and Leopoldo Salcedo headlined "Carinosa", a lavish musical from Sanggumay Pictures, with music provided by Constancio de Guzman and helmed by Carlos Padilla. Other movies from this period included: "Pasalubong" and "Ikaw at Ako".

In January 1941,  Amparo had second billing after leading lady Fely Vallejo in Dr. Francisco Santiago's glorious musical production,  "Kundiman" (1941) from Excelsior Pictures. She was paired with Ernesto de la Guardia, with Rampon Estella as Director. Miguel Velarde provided the music in this classic movie that premiered at the Grand Theater.

Post-war, she starred with Jose Padilla Jr. in Premiere's "Lihim na Bayani", released in 1949, and directed by favorite director, Ramon Estella. With Ely Ramos, she was featured in "Magkapilas na Langit", also shown in 1949. They were to be her last movies.

80. 1936, MISS LUZON, MISS VISAYAS, MISS MINDANAO

AMPARO REYES KARAGDAG, Miss Luzon 1936

One of the most famous beauties ever to come from the Carnival royalties is the alluring Amparo Karagdag. “Amparing” was born on 11 March 1915, the eldest of 7 children from a Reyes family in Malolos, Bulacan. She was adopted by a certain Nena Karagdag and she assumed her last name.

At the 1936 Miss Philippines finals, she placed a strong second to Mercedes Montilla. Acting as Miss Luzon’s escort was Ricardo Manotok. After the contest, she became even more popular when she joined showbiz, appearing in movies as: Dating Pugad, Angel na Tukso, Pasalubong, Kundiman and Ikaw at Ako. In the course of her short career in which her beauty title was always touted, she had as leading men Carlos Padilla, Leopoldo Salcedo, Jose Padilla Jr.

Amparing was also a favorite dancing partner of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon who caught her eye during the Carnival pageant. Quezon had always taken a strong interest in the Miss Philippines search, where his advice often influenced the outcome of the contest. Amparing and the president were always seen during government socials that she was rumored to be his “girlfriend”.

*****

HELEN CUTARAN BENNETT, Miss Visayas 1936

Miss Visayas 1936 Helen Bennett was born in Nueva Vizcaya, making her a genuine Gaddang beauty. She was the daughter of American Roy Bennett with Josefa Cutaran. Family tradition had it that the Bennetts descended from Rufus Bennett (b.1754) a body guard of Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution. Roy had been a Thomasite teacher who was assigned to Nueva Vizcaya to teach and to help build the local high school there. The union resulted in 5 children, of which Helen was the eldest daughter.

Coming to the contest, the elegant Fil-Am mestiza had impeccable credentials. She had been named earlier as Miss Pearl of the Orient Seas by the Philippine Free Press which conducted its own Miss Philippines search. It was not surprising at all that she would land in the winners’ circle, placing third after Mercedes Montilla and Amparo Karagdag. At the Coronation Night, she was escorted by Francisco Chanco.

The War years brought untold sufferings to the Bennetts. Because of their American blood, the whole family was detained at the University of Santo Tomas. A younger brother, Roy Jr. --an editor of Manila Bulletin--was incarcerated and tortured at Fort Santiago after refusing to operate the popular daily under Japanese censorship. The family survived the War and soon after, Helen joined the government service as Foreign Secretary under Pres. Elpidio Quirino.

She married late in life, to Joseph Schon, an engineering graduate from Johns Hopkins University. The officiating person was Justice Manuel Moran, (grandfather of Miss Universe 1973, Margarita Moran). Helen, still very active at age 98, resides in Kanlaon City. The Schons have a son, Ricky Bennett Schon who is active in the cultural affairs of the city. Another well-known niece is Lalaine Bennett, the first ever Miss Philippines to place in the Miss Universe finals, coming in fourth in the 1963 tilt.

(Many thanks to Michael Ocampo for providing some of the background information on Helen Bennett)

*****

CLEOFE JAIME BALINGIT, Miss Mindanao 1936

Cleofe or “Soping” was the daughter of a former Macabebe Scout Felix Balingit and Juliana Jaime. Long before the 1936 Miss Philippines Contest, this winsome colegiala, was already involved in civic work, lending credence to her “beauty with substance” reputation. She often acted as a welcome official of the town. On 10 September 1933, she was part of the entourage (led by Gov. Pablo Angeles) that welcomed Gov. General Frank Murphy ( 1890-1949) to the fiesta of Macabebe. As the reigning Miss Macabebe, she again was a frontliner at the 1935 town visit of U.S. Senator and Col. Rice William Means (1877-1949) of Denver, Colorado.

In 1936, Soping was chosen to carry Pampanga’s colors in the national beauty finals of 1936. Bolstered by her credentials and strongly supported by the local newspaper “Ing Catimauan”, Cleofe won the Miss Mindanao title in an all-mestiza finals. She was escorted to her coronation by fellow Kapampangan, Ricardo Paras.

Returning to Pampanga after her reign, she married Dr. Mariano Bayani of Apalit. She became even more active in socio-civic causes, most especially the Pampanga Chapter of the Girl Scouts and the local Red Cross, raising funds and pursuing related advocacies. She died in 1981 of natural causes.


*****

79. 1936, Miss Philippines of the Manila Carnival, MERCEDES MONTILLA MONTILLA

1936 MISS PHILIPPINES, Mercedes Montilla Montilla of Kabankalan, Negros, was the daughter of the first Speaker of the Philippine Assembly, Gil Montilla. One of the prettiest winners of the Miss Philippines title, she would later become a well-loved politician.

In 1936, a Southern beauty made her mark in the annual Carnival by capturing the crown of Miss Philippines, leaving three beauties from Luzon to fight for the regional titles. Mercedes Montilla of Negros Occidental was born on 14 July 1915, the daughter of Gil Montilla, a prominent sugar planter and the first Speaker of the Philippine Assembly. She was named after her mother—Mercedes Sr.—who was also a Montilla from Pulupandan, and a second cousin of Gil. The Montillas had Spanish roots, and this was evident in Mercedes’s fair and delicate beauty. But behind her refined femininity, a woman of strong character, influence and power would soon develop.

At the time of the contest, “Merceding” was a 20 year old young woman who grew up in an affluent home. As it was the fashion then, she was sent to a convent school in Hong Kong and later returned to study at the Philippine Women’s University for her high school. Her schooling was momentarily interrupted with the advent of the 1936 Carnival, when she was drafted to run for the queenship of the greatest annual event of the Orient.


Mercedes’ candidacy earned approval from her family, as it eventually served to heighten the popularity of her politico father. She, however, faced stiff opposition from Bulacan belle, Amparo Karagdag, who, after the contest would be linked to Pres. Quezon. Nueva Vizcayan-born Helen Bennett, an American mestiza posed another threat, as she had been the Philippine Free Press winner of Miss Pearl of the Orient. In the homestretch, Mercedes emerged victorious, relegating Amparo Karagdag to second place (Miss Luzon) while Helen Bennett and Kapampangan Cleofe Balingit captured the Miss Visayas and Miss Mindanao titles, respectively.


At her coronation, she was escorted by fellow Visayan Zafiro Ledesma, later the mayor of Iloilo City She wore a sequined gold lame native gown and her Crispulo Zamora-made crown had a more traditional design Her crown was of silver studded with rhinestones and with three colored stones of red, white and blue, set brilliantly in front. True enough, Speaker Montilla rode on the crest of his daughter’s triumph, often taking her with him to state functions attended by all sorts of VIPs. Those were heady times for the 1936 Miss Philippines, a role she played with aplomb.


Three years after the Carnival, she met a sugar planter and a chemist—Genaro Alvarez, from Kabangkalan, Negros. They got married in 1939 and initially settled there, until the War, where they moved to Sipalay. They fell in love with the town and remained there even after the war’s end. The couple had three children, Genaro Jr., Rosemarie Alvarez Isidro (a U.S. based doctor ) and Aurora Alvarez Guariño.

In the mid 1950s, Genaro Alvarez ran for mayorship of Sipalay and won, serving two consecutive terms. He tried running for a third term, but he was stabbed to death four days before the elections, a politically motivated murder. Mercedes, his widow, took his mantle and ran in his place, winning by an incredible margin. She proved her political mettle by running successfully for a second and third term, retiring undefeated in 1976.

She spent the rest of her days in Bacolod City with son Genaro Jr., but would also find time to visit Sipalay where their old house still stands. Our 1936 Miss Philippines passed away on 24 September 1993 due to kidney failure. She rests next to her husband Genaro in the family's mausoleum in Bacolod that has a stained glass picture of her as a Carnival Queen. Genaro Jr. today is a member of the House of Representatives, from the sixth district of Negros Occidental.

FAMILY UPDATE: The old house in Sipalay is already gone but the ancestral home in Kabankalan still stands, home to the present generation of Montillas-Alvarezes. Daughter Rosemarie, a practicing psychiatrist, lives in Washington. Aurora and her family are Manila residents. Son Genaro Jr. is now the vice-governor of Negros Occidental. His two children are also in politics: son John Paul Alvarez is the Mayor of the Municipality of Ilog, while daughter Mercedes is a congresswoman of the 6th district of Negros Occidental. (Many thanks to Cong. Mercedes "Chedeng" Alvarez for these updates!)