173. 1936 Queen of the Ilocos Norte Carnival, FLORENTINA I

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Queen Florentina I. Ilocos Norte Carnival Queen of 1936.

The province of Ilocos Norte was quick to take a cue from neighbor Ilocos Sur in holding its own petit carnivals. Ilocos Sur seemed to have taken the Carnival spirit more to heart, holding provincial fairs with more frequency and at every given opportunity. But it is to be remembered that Ilocos Norte gave the country its second Manila Carnival Queen, in the person of Julia Guerrero Agcaoili of Piddig, who reigned in 1909. Her sister, Pilar, also was the Queen-elect of the 1929 Ilocos Norte petit fair.

Ilocos Norte fielded two beauties in the 1926 and 1927 editions of the national Manila Carnival. In the dying years of the Carnival, the only documented provincial fair was held in 1936, in which this beauty, "Her Majesty, Queen Florentina I", reigned over the festivities. Nothing more is known of this Ilocana beauty. The last Ilocos Norte Carnival was held in the postwar year of 1946.

120. THE ILOCOS CARNIVALS

The provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur were among the early provinces who joined the bandwagon in holding their own petit fairs and carnavals, largely influenced by the national annual event in Manila in which they were consistently represented. The Ilocos Carnivals were intermittently held from the early 1920s right through the late 1940s, long after the last Manila Carnival folded.

Ilocos Sur had its first Carnival in Vigan in 1922, ruled by Queen Carmen I. The next year, another grand carnival was held, and by coincidence, Carmen's successor was also named Carmen.


In 1925, a French-Spanish-Filipina by the name of Lucia Trullench reigned over the festivities. The next year, Rosario Calvo was elected as the Ilocos Sur delegate to the Manila Carnival quest for Miss Philippines. Ilocos Norte also fielded their own candidate for the first time in 1926.
Another carnival was held in Vigan in 1927, from 21-30 July. Reigning as queen of the festivities was Queen Jesusa I, whose duties were limited to the affairs of the provincial exposition, as separate representatives were sent to the national pageant.


That year, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte named two beauties to compete at the 2nd National Beauty Contest, in the persons of Susana Tugade and Petra Molina.

Another carnival was held the following year, 1928, and this time, Queen Remy II was the royal queen, and her coronation had a fancy French court theme complete with powdered wigs and pompadours.


In 1929, the Ilocos Sur Carnival and Provincial Exposition was held in Vigan from 18-27 January 1929, under the patronage of the provincial boards of Ilocos Sur. In the 1931 edition of the Ilocos Sur carnival, Queen Mena I was named as the royalty of the fair.

The Gran Carnaval y Feria de Ilocos was held in 1935 from 18-27 January 1935 and it proved to be an extravagantly-staged event that even featured a “Tower of Progress”, obviously copied from the Manila event, that stood as a symbol of Ilocandia’s commercial and industrial boom.


It was only a decade later that Ilocos Norte followed suit with its post-war Carnival and Industrial Fair held in January of 1946. The last Ilocos carnival was once again held in Ilocos Sur, held from 21-30 January 1949, dedicated to His Excellency, Pres. Elpidio Quirino.