244. THE 1914 CEBU CARNIVAL

 THE CEBU CARNIVAL COURT 1913-1914. Queen Enriqueta Aldanese, a mestiza beauty from Sibonga, Cebu had the honor of being the first Cebu Carnival Queen. She also was the muse of Dia Espana.

The very first Cebu Carnival was held over the Christmas holidays of 1913. It was organized by Jose Nolasco who tried to replicate the same successful elements of the national carnival--even going to the extent of hiring the same company--Churchill and Tait--that provided lavish program entertainment--from circus acts, acrobatics and exciting carnival rides. There were also decorated booths and pavilions that showcased Cebu's progress in areas of commerce, agriculture and various industries. The pioneering provincial event was staged just 5 years after the first Manila Carnival, and was held at the Fuente Osmena. The coronation of Queen Enriqueta Aldanese de Lasso de Vega culminated the festivities. The first Carnival Queen of Cebu eventually became a national royalty, reigning as the Queen of the 1918 Manila Carnival.

115.CEBU CARNIVAL QUEENS, 1914 – 1931, part I

The Manila Carnival fever caught on not only in the provinces of Luzon but also in the cities down South—cascading down to Cebu which led the way in staging the most opulent spectacles outside of Manila. If Manila had Wallace Field as the venue, Fuente Osmeña was the original site of the Cebu carnival events. The carnival season in the Queen City of the South, it was said, rivalled those of Manila in terms of pageantry and presentation, and the royals who reigned over the festivities were no less beautiful and accomplished than the national winners.

1914, ENRIQUETA ALDANESE y LASSO DI VEGA
The 1st ever Carnival in Cebu was held 6 years after the national Carnival. The winner, Enriqueta Aldanese belonged to the prominent Aldanese family from Sibonga, Cebu. She had also been the Dia del Español Queen (Spanish Day Queen) for that year. Later, in 1918, Enriqueta bagged the Manila Carnival Queen title, an even bigger honor that made her into a national figure. She eventually became the wife of Don Jose Paris, an engineer.

1915, ROSARIO SINGSON

1917, BASILISA ABAD
The second Cebu Carnival was held in 1917 and a beauty from Barili, Basilisa Abad, was chosen as Queen. She married a certain Dr. Atenzo and settled in Mindanao with her children.

1918, ROSARIO LLAMAS
Another Spanish mestiza from Parian was the winner of the 1918 Cebu Carnival crown—Rosario Llamas.

1921, AMPARO ROYO

1922, AMPARO MELLADO

1923, ANGELES CLIMACO y OSMEÑA
Angeles Climaco was the last queen to be crowned at Fuente Osmeña, the original site of the Cebu Carnivals. “Angeling” was the daughter of Don Arsenio Climaco, the provincial governor, and her mother was Dna. Juanita Osmeña. At her coronation, she was escorted by Nick Osmeña, eldest son of then National Assembly Speaker Sergio Osmeña, who was an active participant of the Manila Carnivals. Catalina Apacible, also that year’s Manila Carnival Queen winner, lent her crown for her to wear. Nene was then more than a dear friend of Perico Limjap, Sergio Osmeña’s brother-in-law, and would shortly become her husband. Angeles married Dr. Ildefonso Ubud, whom she outlived.


1925, CECILIA MICHAEL
Angelic-faced Cecilia Michael was the queen-elect of the 1925 Cebu Carnival and was escorted by Francisco Racaza. She later married Rafael Ramos.


1927, ENCARNACION LIVIOCO
The 1927 winner , fondly called Encarnita, practically grew up in Manila and was the daughter of the Cebu provincial treasurer. Her consort was Victorino Climaco, the younger brother of Queen Angeles, and a pharmacist by profession.


1930, MARIA CONSUELO CABASA
In 1930, Jose Nolasco, the Director-General of the Cebu Carnival, lauched a city-wide search for the next queen. All the districts of Cebu fielded a delegate, making the contest more competitive. In the end, it was Ma. Consuelo Cabasa, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Juan Cabasa of Pasil district, who emerged victorious in the most spectacular edition of the carnival pageant. Her damas included: Maria del Mar (Parian) and Remedios Manlunas (Sambag). Consuelo, escorted by Paciano Reyes, had the distinction of being crowned by the 1930 Miss Philippines and her namesake, Monina Consuelo Acuña. She later became the bride of Capt. Gallardo of Bohol, but the couple remained childless.


1931, CONCEPCION CUENCO y ALESNA
The charming Concepcion Cuenco (b. 18 Feb. 1912), daughter of Sen. Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Filomena Alesna, reigned as the 1931 queen. Her consort was Dr. Protacio V. Solon. Concepcion also snagged the Miss Free Press Cebu titles two years in a row, in 1931 and 1932. She married Engr. Mariano F. Manguerra of Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Her 4 surviving children (Victoria, Mariano, Ana Maria, Cecilia Catalina) are all professionals. The youngest, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, is an accomplished Fil-Am author.


In that same carnival, another beauty was named “Bito-on sa Babaye”—Rita V. Pañares, daughter of Bartolome Pañares and Manuela Villaflor of Barli. Rita was a valedictorian of her elementary and high school classes at Colegio dela Immaculada Concepcion At the University of the Philippines, she was a champion debater together with the 1929 Miss Philippines, Pacita delos Reyes. She married a UP professor, Atty. Alvarez.

35. 1918, Queen of the Manila Carnival, ENRIQUETA LASSO DE VEGA ALDANESE

1918 QUEEN OF THE MANILA CARNIVAL. Enriqueta Aldanese y Lasso de Vega, was born of mixed ancestry--Spanish, English, Filipino. She held three beauty titles in 4 years.

The Queen who reigned over the 1918 Manila Carnival was a distinguished Spanish-English mestiza who held a string of beauty titles even before her election. Enriqueta Aldanese had been the Queen of the 1st Cebu Carnival in 1914 and the following year, she became a “Dia España” muse in Zamboanga, an event mcuh celebrated by the Spanish community. This experience must have prepared her for a grander, more competitive pageant, for she eventually became the 1918 winner.

QUEEN OF THE CEBU CARNIVAL 1913-1914. The first of Enriqueta's string of beauty titles. Shown here as the 1st ever Carnival Queen of Cebu.

Enriqueta was born in Sibonga, Cebu to Carlos Owens Aldanese and Carmen Figueroa Lasso de Vega. She lost both parents while still young and came to live with her much older brother, Vicente Aldanese, a Customs official based in Zamboanga. Enriqueta attended convent schools in Cebu and later in Hong Kong. She followed her brother after he was re-assigned to Manila, and it was in the city that was invited to participate in the 1918 Carnival as a beauty candidate. Quickly, four newspapers backed her candidacy, and with such a strong support from La Vanguardia, El Ideal and Mercantil, she won as the 1918 Manila Carnival Queen.

THE QUEEN IN HER ROYAL ROBES. Queen Enriqueta I in one of her official portraits as the Carnival Royal.

The magnificent auditorium erected at Luneta was the site of Enriqueta’s moment of glory. She was escorted by Jose Reyes Galvez and assisted by two princesses and their consorts. She wore a heavy, velvet cape over her gossamer gown cut in vintage European style.

THE 1918 ROYAL ENTOURAGE. Enriqueta's entourage included two maids-in-waiting, 2 pages and her King Consort , Jose Reyes Galvez.

When the Carnival hoopla dimmed and faded, Enriqueta settled down on 19 March 1920, with Jose Paris, an electrical engineer of the Luzon Stevedoring Company. Jose had been one of the first to come a-calling at the Aldanese residence to congratulate the winning queen. They took residence first in Malate, then in Menlo, Pasay in 1929, where they raised three children: Manuel ( a doctor), Menchu and Ditas.

To raise the level of awareness of their children to world events, the family often went globe-trotting, exploring European countries like Spain even with a Civil War going on. With a feel for current world situations, Enriqueta was thus prepared when World War II struck the Philippines. She had stocked up on food and medical provisions for her friends and family, to last for many months. Though their home was bombed and damaged, the family remained unscathed and they proceeded to rebuild their lives after the war.

PENCIL SKETCH OF A YOUNG WIFE. Drawn by Enriqueta's husband, Jose Paris.

Her husband Jose, however, passed away of a heart ailment in March 1944, and outlived him for many years. In the 1980s, Enriqueta had to be hospitalized forvarious illnesses related to old age. Her niece, Pilar, the daughter of her brother Vicente, came to live with her in the same house that she has lived in for over 45 years. Some of her granddaughters like Meg Paris, became top models in the mid 1970s. Enriqueta lived to be in her 80s.