267. Carnival Activities: 1933 MISS PHILIPPINES WITH MRS. MARGUERITE TEAHAN

TEA WITH MRS. TEAHAN.Miss Philippines 1933 Engracia Laconico as an official guest of Malacanang resident, Marguerite Teaha, sister of the incumbent Governor General and considered First Lady of the land.

Engracia Laconico, 1933 Miss Philippines, is shown with Mrs. Marguerite M. Teahan, sister of Philippine Gov. General Frank Murphy. Murphy took many of his relatives to the Philippines when he came over to serve as Governor-General (and later, High Commissioner) from 1933-1936. These include his brother, George, sister-in-law Irene Ellis Murphy, and Marguerite, who helped him in the many ceremonial functions of his office.

Marguerite was married to William Teahan (m. 2 June 1931), who became and advisor to Frank, The couple had an adopted daughter, Mary Aurora, named after Pres. Manuel L. Quezon's wife, Aurora Aragon.

264. 1933 Miss Mindanao: AT THE RED CROSS INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT

 MINDA MORAS. Angelina Biunas, who was Miss Mindanao in the court of 1933 Miss Philippines, Engracia Laconico, as a special guest of the Philippine Red Cross.

Miss Mindanao 1933,  18 year old Angelita "Nina" Biunas, makes a personal appearance at a special charity event of the Philippine Red Cross with Marita Ubaldo. She is the daughter of Victor Biunas and Pilar Tronqued. The Philippine Red Cross organizing fund-raising events that included the selection of Miss Charity, in prestigious pageants that drew participation of high society belles. One of the oldest support institutions in the country, it was conceived as early as 1899 by Apolinario Mabini. The Philippine branch of the American Red Cross was established in 1905. Post-Carnival, Nina married businessman Melo Alonso.

71. 1933 MISS LUZON, MISS VISAYAS, MISS MINDANAO

CHARITY O. CROW, Miss Luzon 1933

Miss Luzon 1933, Charity Crow, was born on 6 Dec. 1915 at the Philippine General Hospital, daughter of Joseph William Crow of Hollister, California and Asuncion de Ocampo of Iloilo, Iloilo. Joseph was a member of the “Thomasites”—American teachers recruited to teach in the Philippines and tasked with reforming the public school system in the country. It was while assigned in Iloilo that he met and married Asuncion, who bore five more daughters (Carmen, Carrie, Charity, Celeste, Catherine ) and two sons (Clem, Carl).

Charity started schooling at St. Bridget’s Academy in Batangas where her father was then the Provincial Treasurer. Then she moved to Manila where she finished high school at St. Scholastica’s College in 1932. From there, she enrolled at the University of Sto. Tomas where she was elected as the “Most Beautiful College Girl”. Her beauty title brought her to the attention of Carnival organizers who enlisted her as a candidate to the 1933 Manila Carnival.

No doubt, it was more than her physical beauty that made her a leading contender to the crown—it was known that she treated every one with the highest regard, and people found unique qualities of having “beauty, brains and heart” so endearing. One story has it that once, she saw a dog drowning and she jumped into the water to save the canine’s life.

Charity was just a step away from winning the Miss Philippines title. Even then, she became even more popular in college. She graduated from UST with Summa Cum Laude honors. Charity was often invited to Malacañang Palace affairs and became friends with the family of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon. The high profile socialite met and married La Salle’s top athlete in 1938—Rafael Ygoa—then Asia’s No. 1 soccer goalkeeper. They had 4 children, born during the War years. After the Liberation, the Ygoa family moved to New York and then relocated to Colombia, in South America, where Rafael was appointed as Treasurer-Comptroller of TACA Airways. A fifth child was born there.

In 1948, Charity and her family returned to the Philippines at the request of Don Andres Soriano, who offered Rafael a job as a treasurer of the fledgling Philippine Airlines, Asia’s first airline. She took to her role as a housewife and mother back home, raising her 5 children while enrolling in modeling and cooking classes, both her personal interests. She also became involved in Catholic church activities, even supporting Fr. Patrick Peyton’s Holy Rosary Crusade.

A few years after, Rafael was asked to establish a leisure resort in Sotogrande, Spain and become its General Manager. Charity and the children followed suit and resided in Spain for 3 years. But then Rafael was called back to Manila to accept an offer he could not refuse: to be the head of the Philippine Airlines. He became eventually the Chief Operating Officer and President.

After retirement, the family moved to the United States. Charity and Rafael celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary at the Carmel Monastery in California in August 1988. Two years after, Charity passed away in February 1990. Rafael joined her in 2008 and the two rest in peace in Santa Monica, California. She is survived by her 5 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

(I am indebted to Ms. Cristina Igoa, daughter of Charity Crow, for the biogaphical sketch of her mother, sent via e-mail.)

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BLANQUITA OPINION, Miss Visayas 1933

Blanquita's beauty career was launched early, when she was crowned as the 1925 Princess of Charity of Centro Escolar, an annual anti-tuberculosis fund raising program of the government. Eight years later, now a collegiate beauty, she placed third in the annual Manila Carnival Queen search. In later years, Blanquita became Mrs. de Testa and settled in Quiapo, Manila.

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ANGELINA BIUNAS, Miss Mindanao 1933

Angelina was born in 1915 to Pilar Tronqued and Victor Biunas. Married Carmelo Alonso with whom she had 5 children: Milagros, Rolando, Rose, Tina and Jose Mari. She died in 2003 and is interred at the La Loma Cemetery.

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70. 1933, Miss Philippines of the Manila Carnival, ENGRACIA ARCINAS LACONICO

1933 MISS PHILIPPINES. As a young woman growing up in Tondo, Engracia Laconico y Arcinas was elected as Miss Trozo. But the biggest title yet was the Miss Philippines crown which she won in dramatic fashion at the 1933 Manila Carnival.

Trozo-born Engracia Arcinas Laconico, came into the world just as the gates of the 1912 Manila Carnival were opened. In Tondo, then part of the Sta. Cruz district, Engracia grew up, the youngest daughter of Panfilo Laconico and Rosario Arcinas. NENE OF THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEERS. The young candidate, sponsored by the National Volunteers which ran a small publication, upset the favorites for the crown with a last-minute surge of votes solicited by her father. Engracia’s beauty was apparent at a young age, for in one of the yearly fiestas, she was elected as Miss Trozo. But a bigger honor awaited her when she was nominated to be one of the contestants to the search for the 1933 Miss Philippines of the Seventh National Beauty Contest of the Manila Carnival. At the time of the pageant, Engracia was a piano student at the University of the Philippines, but her fingers were also adept with the fine art of crocheting, a lifelong hobby that she enjoyed doing. QUEEN-ELECT NENE LACONICO. The helmet-like crown she wore at her coronation garnered mixed reviews from the newspapers covering the event. ENGRACIA'S GRACE. The uncrowned beauty sits in one of her salon sittings as Miss Philippines of 1933. Pictures of her crown-less are rare. At the onset, Engracia preferred to take a backseat to the more popular girls of the contest who were avidly supported by giant newspapers like Tribune, Bulletin and La Vanguardia. Engracia’s victory came in dramatic fashion that left the favorites stunned. ENGRACIA'S COURT OF BEAUTY. Charity Crow (Miss Luzon), Balnquita Opinion (Miss Visayas) and Angelina Biunas (Miss Mindanao). In the final moments of the balloting, Engracia’s father engaged the resources of the National Volunteers, an organization that he headed as President, and which piblihsed its own journal. Enlisting the help of another civic association he headed, he amassed enough votes to help clinch his daughter’s triumph at the Carnival. THE WINNING CIRCLE. Engracia Laconico with her court of honor, Miss Luzon, Miss Visayas and Miss MIndanao. The tall, fair beauty thus was proclaimed as the country’s seventh Miss Philippines, with Charity Crow emerging as Miss Luzon, Blanquita Opinion as Miss Visayas and Angelina Biunas as Miss Mindanao. She wore a crown in the shape of a helmet strung with pearls and topped with a 4-pointed star. By her side, her accomplished King Consort and close family friend, Dr. Gregorio Y. Zara, smartly stood in his militaria regalia, Dr. Zafra , 10 years older, had by then established himself as one of the country’s brilliant scientists. QUEEN AND KING OF THE 1933 MANILA CARNIVAL. Family friend Dr. Gregorio Zara, who was many years Engracia's senior, escorted the lovely queen at her coronation. A THRONE FIT FOR A QUEEN. Engracia, a most photographed royalty at the Manila Carnival of 1933. A fairy tale ending was in store for Engracia and Gregorio as romance bloomed between the two and resulted in their wedding in 1934. They made their home in Quezon City where they raised four children: Antonio, Pacita, Josefina and Lourdes. ROYAL COUPLE, ROYAL MARRIAGE. Engracia and Dr. Zafra at one of the Carnival Floral Parades. Romance would blossom between the two and they would become man and wife a year after the Carnival. The Zaras frequently traveled together whenever the venerable doctor was invited to conferences abroad. Engracia however was content to devote her time to home and family. Her beloved husband passed away in October 1978 after receiving the National Scientist Award from the government 4 months earlier. Engracia lived the rest of her days in her Quezon City home made cozier with her crochet creations and the warm memories of her accomplished husband. A FAIRY TALE REIGN. A very rare souvenir photo postcard of Engracia ruling over the 1933 Manila Carnival as our 7th Miss Philippines.