272. Carnival Activities: 1929 MISS PHILIPPINES AT THE ILOILO CARNIVAL

FULFILLING HER DUTIES. Pacita de los Reyes, queen-elect of the 1929 Manila Carnival, is feted at the 1929 Iloilo Carnival.

Miss Philippines of 1929, Pacita delos Reyes, was honored at the Iloilo Carnival in La Paz, Iloilo. Forming her court are members of the younger set of the Iloilo and Negros “Four Hundred”. Pacita’s September visit was auspicious as a few months later, she was succeeded by a young Ilongga beauty, Consuelo Acuña, 1930 Miss Philippines.

271. Carnival Beauties: CARMEN REESE, 1923 Baguio Carnival Princess

REESE AND FAMOUS. Mestiza-beauty, Carmen Reese of Baguio was part of the royal retnue of the Baguio Carnival of 1923.

Carmen Reese was a princess in the court of Queen Martina Salming, the reigning royal of the 1923 Baguio Carnival. Six years later, with her beauty in full bloom, Carmen was named as among Baguio’s candidates to the annual “Filipina Beautiful” of the Philippine Free Press. Other entrants were Adela Romero, Corazon Custodio and Rosita Moldero. Moldero, a Kalinga beauty from Labuangan, eventully clinched the 1929 Miss Luzon title of the prestigious newspaper contest.

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.

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.

266. Carnival Ads: 1934 MISS PHILIPPINES AS CELEBRITY ENDORSER

A MODEL OF GOOD FASHION SENSE. 1934 Miss Philippines, Clarita Tan Kiang of Marilao, Bulacan, endorses Genuine Indian Head Cloth in this Graphic Magazine print ad.

In later Carnival years (1933-39), the fair was kept alive with funding from various corporate sponsors that included big departments stores, cosmetic companies, among others. As such, part of the duties that the Manila Carnival winners performed was to appear on print ads as endorsers of the products of said sponsors.

1934 Miss Philippines, Clarita Tan Kiang appeared on one such ad for Genuine Indian Head Fabrics, a staple cotton introduced by Americans that was part of everyday life of Filipinos for over a century. Indian Head was first introduced in 1831 as high-quality, sturdy, rough-texture muslin brown cloth. Its sturdiness and quality became world famous and was even used as a medium of exchange for bartering in the Philippines.

In this print ad published on Graphic Magazine, Miss Tan Kiang gives her personal testimony of the merits  of this linen-textured cloth, affixing her signature--not unlike print ads of today endorsed by contemporary personalities, proof that even today, the pulling power of celebrities works on Filipino consumers.

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.

260. Post-Carnival Years: MARIA KALAW AT THE PAN-PACIFIC PAGEANT

The Pan-Pacific Pageant was staged during the Commonwealth years as a symbol of goodwill and cooperation between America and its Pacific holdings and territories, including the Philippines. The highlight of the pageant was the ceremonial presentation of flags, carried by representative beauties from America and the Philippines. The Philippines was represented by former Miss Philippines 1931, Maria Kalaw.

Miss Maria Kalaw (right) dressed as Maria Clara  presented the Philippine flag on the same occasion.

Miss Anne Alger (left) dressed as Miss Liberty presented the American flag to Gov. Gen. Frank Murphy during the Pan-Pacific Pageant. Alger is a descendant of two U.S. presidents, the Adamses. 

259. Carnival Wedding: LIM-DEVLIN NUPTIALS

A EURASIAN MATCH. Rosalina Cispon Lim, Miss Luzon 1932, with her new husband Claude Martinez Devlin, at their 1934 wedding. Rosalina has Chinese-Filipina-Spanish-Portuguese bollod courtesy of her parents, while Claude is of British-Scottish-Filipino extract.

Miss Luzon of 1932, Rosalina Cispon Lim came from a multi-cultural background; his father a Chinese mestiza and her mother of Portuguese-Pangasinense descent. She went further by marrying half-British, half-Filipino Claude Devlin Martinez, just a year or so after her reign.
The couple briefly settled in London for some 15 years before returning to the Philippines. Rosalina and Claude had an only daughter, Tita Martinez Sicat, a Ph.D. holder and a U.P. professor.

257. Her High School Yearbook: NIEVA PAZ ERAÑA , 1939 Miss Mindanao

HIGH SCHOOL TOPNOTCH BEAUTY. The young Nieves Eraña, as a high school graduate of Sta. Catalina College.

The future Miss Mindanao of 1939, Nieva Paz Eraña is seen in this photo taken from her Sta. Catalina High School yearbook, from where she graduated with the highest honors (Class Valedictorian) in 1933.

A year later, she enrolled at the Centro Escolar de Señoritas where she earned a reputation as a "brain and beauty" colegiala. No wonder then that in 1935, at the annual Centro Escolar Foundation Day, she was elected  as Queen of the Students’ Night held from Jan. 18-21, 1935.

Four years later, the fresh graduate was chosen as Miss Mindanano in the court of Miss Philippines 1939, Iluminada Tuason. She, however, relinquished her title and was replaced by Adela Planas. 

255. Her College Yearbook, PACITA DE LOS REYES, Miss Philippines 1929

PACITA DE LOS REYES, Miss Philippines 1929, in her gradutaion toga as an honors graduate of the University of the Philippines, College of Law.

Miss Philippines of 1929, Pacita Ongsiako de los Reyes was a law student when she represented University of the Philippines at the 1929 search for Miss Philippines.

The statuesque scholar won the title and had an enjoyable year fulfilling the obligations as Miss Philippines. But school had always been a top priority, and she went right back to her law course after her reign was over, distinguishing herself as an outstanding debater, orator and member of the honor roll. Her contemporaries included Ambrosio Padilla and Arturo Tolentino.

 Done with her law course, she took the bar and became one of the topnotchers in the 1934 Bar Exams, copping 7th place. On 10 November 1934, she was officially installed as member of the bar.

She had a brilliant career, and shared her legal mind by teaching subjects at U.P., Holy Ghost College and Far Eastern University. She unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in 1957 under Claro M. Recto’s party.

254. Carnival Beauties: LEONARDA OCAMPO, Miss Philippines 1934 Candidate

A PRETTY GIRL IS LIKE A MELODY. Leonarda Francisco was a music student of St. Scholastica when she made a bid for the Miss Philippines 1934 crown. This lovely Nueva Ecijana became a well-known concert pianist later in life.

 Leonarda Ocampo, was the first female graduate of Saint Scholastica College's Conservatory of Music. She was still a student when she was prevailed to run for the 1934 Manila Carnival search for Miss Philippines. She originally represented her province of Nueva Ecija having been born in Brgy. Bangad, Cabanatuan.The crown went to the Marilao beauty, Clarita Tan Kiang.

Leonarda became a well-known concert pianist. She passed on the musical genes to her descendants, which include the award-winning composer Louie Ocampo and Fr. Manoling Francisco S.J., composer of the well-known songs, "Hindi Kita Malilimutan" and "Tanging Yaman". A school that stands on a piece of land donated by the family in Cabanatuan City is named after this musical beauty.

253. Carnival Wedding: KALAW-KATIGBAK NUPTIALS

A ROYAL MARRIAGE. Maria Kalaw, 1931 Miss Philippines with husband, Dr. Jose Katigbak on their wedding day.

Maria Kalaw, 1931 Miss Philippines, was wed to Dr. Jose Katigbak on 2 June 1934. Sponsors at the wedding were Ramon Fernandez and Mrs. Francisco Tirona-Benitez, Rafael Corpuz and Mrs. Maximo Kalaw, Vicente Lopez and Mrs. Manuel Roxas, Dr. Baldomero Roxas and Mrs. Emilio Aguinaldo, Dr. Sixto Roxas and Mrs. Justa Kalaw de Katigbak, and Leoncio Aranda and Mrs. Arsenio Luz. 

Pacita Roxas and Evelina Kalaw with Ramon Katigbak and Teodoro Kalaw Jr., served as sponsors for the veil. Purita Kalaw was the maid-of-honor and Dr. Jose Reyes stood as Best Man.

The Katigbak couple went on to raise a brood of 4 that included: Marinela (Nela), Josefina (Pinkie), Purisima (Puri) and Norberto (+Butch).

251. Carnival Beauties: ANGELINA VILLAFRANCA, 1929 Miss Philippines Candidate

ANGELIC ANGELINA. 1929 Miss Philippines Candidate.

When the 1929 Manila Carnival re-opened after a year in hiatus, the search for Miss Philippines was expanded to include colleges and universities, making the quest even more competitive. There were candidates from well-known schools like the University of the Philippines, Centro Escolar de Senoritas, Sta. Rosa College--and even Manila College of Pharmacy.

From a lesser-known school came Angelina Villafranca, Miss Filipino Academy. She was no match, however, for the state university's candidate, Pacita de los Reyes, who had the whole school's campaign machinery behind her.

248. Carnival Beauties: LULU SUZARA, Candidate, 1939 Miss Philippines

LUCK'S ON LULU. Lulu Suzara, one of the official candidates of the Miss Philippines search of the 1939 Philippine Exposition.

Miss Lulu Suzara, a favorite for the Miss Philippines title, was one of the leading candidates of that year's quest for the country's fairest. At the 1939 Floral Parade of the Philippine Exposition, she was honored to ride the float sponsored and designed by a certain Miss Uy Yet, which garnered the Most Artistic Award, an ominous start for the chinita beauty.

At the finals, however, it was the lovely Iluminada Tuason who was crowned Miss Philippines--the last royalty of the country's longest-running fair.

241. Carnival Beauties:PACITA RODRIGUEZ, Candidate, Miss Philippines 1930

PRETTY PACITA. Sampaguita -sponsored Pacita Rodriguez strikes a pose for her official 1930 Manila Carnival photo.

1930 was a most competitive year for the Miss Philippines quest of the annual Manila Carnival. Major publications, Chinese newspapers and even university publications named their own candidates to the search for the country’s fairest.

Towards the homestretch, 15 top contenders remained, headed by the eventual winner, Consuelo Acuña, supported by no less than 3 papers—Taliba, La Vanguardia and La Defensa. Not far behind were Estrella Alvarez (The Independent Intelligencer), Luz Villaluna (Excelsior) and Rosario Zorilla (The Philippine Herald) who finished in 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively. 

Rounding out the Top 15 were two candidates sponsored by two Chinese papers(Pua Ya Jueng and Liong Ngo Kim). Virginia Lejarde, Elisa Dalmacio, Violeta Lopez, Corazon Campos, Lourdes Aunario, Pilar Liwanag, Eladia Eugenio, Loreto Zapanta and the winsome Pacita Rodriguez who was the bet of the Manila daily, Sampaguita.

235. Carnival Beauties: ROSIE MCGUIRE, 1927 Miss Samar

SAMAR'S SWEETHEART. Rosie McGuire, the first and only known Miss samar to represent her island province at the 1927 edition of the Manila Carnival.

The American Mcguires settled in Borongan, Eastern Samar and the lovely Rosie McGuire could very well be from this landed family. Don James McGuire was a prominent citizen of the place, and his magnificent McGuire Bldg., built in 1931, still stands restored in Borongan. A McGuire St. can be found in this town, (now a city, and capital of the province). Other than that, not much is known about this fair mestiza beauty, the only known Miss Samar to grace the carnival of Manila where Manila's Luisa Marasigan triumphed as Miss Philippines of 1927.

233. The Other 1939 Miss Mindanao: NIEVA ERAÑA y BASA

THE SECOND MISS MINDANAO 1939. Nieva Erana, a popular Escolarina student, is credited in extant Carnival photos as the other Miss Mindanao, together with Adela Planas.


Adela Planas was in the court of Iluminada Tuason, Miss Philippines of 1939, as Miss Mindanao; in fact, Adela was with the rest of the winners during Iluminada’s coronation night.

But we have visual documentation of another Miss Mindanao, who was accorded that honor but who politely declined it.

She is no other than Nieva Paz Eraña, who, four years before had previously reigned as Queen of the Students’ Night during the festivities at Centro Escolar de Señoritas from Jan. 18-21, 1935.

Shortly after the Carnival, she married Major Jaime Velasquez of the Philippine Armed Forces. He was also Quezon's aide-de-camp during the war; later he worked for the Ayalas in developing Makati--so now a a park and a street is named after him in Salcedo Village). Their 1938 marriage was short-lived. Nieva contracted malaria during her pregnancy, but sadly the passed away during childbirth in 1940. The baby boy she managed to deliver tragically passed away too, after 3 days.  Nieva is interred at the North Cemetery.

230. Carnival Beauties: ISABEL C. BOWERS, 1927 Miss Romblon

BOWERS BEAUTIFUL. The firtst and only known Miss Romblon, Isabel C. Bowers, who participated in the 2nd National Beauty Contest of the Manila Carnival, won by Luisa Marasigan. 

Little is known about Romblon's first and only representative to the Miss Philippines Beauty Contest of the Manila Carnival--American mestiza, Isabel C. Bowers.

There were several Bowers who came to the Philippines at the time of the American conquest who may have been her relatives: .two Thomasites with the Bowers surname came with the first batch of American teachers to the Islands in the early 1900s--Benjamin F. Bowers (assigned in Antique) and George Bowers (assigned in Batangas). They could very well be Isabel's forebears.

Isabel was related somehow to Brig. Gen. Clarence H. Bowers (1880-1943), the Philippine Constabulary head and a former superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy who married  Constancia Madrilejos of Romblon, daughter of Bonifacio Marron Madrilejos and Vicenta Manalon Maculang, on 31 August 1906.

This Bowers couple had two children, Elizabeth Maud Constance and Lejuna Bowers. (N.B. It is interesting to note that "Isabel" is the Spanish equivalent of Elizabeth; could she be one and the same person? Mother Constancia anglicized her name to "Constance Bowers" after her marriage to Clarence. In any event, this Elizabeth Maud Bowers returned to the U.S. in 1932 and took up Industrial Design at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pennsylvania. She married Engr. John Rice, had two daughters and eventually became a noted name in industrial and graphic design, one of only few American women to achieve such feat in a field dominated by men.)

229. A Tribute to Miss Mindanao 1935, CARMELING DEL ROSARIO

A video tribute to Carmeling Del Rosario-Rodriguez (b. 2 July 1916)  Miss Mindanao of the 1935 Manila Carnival who passed away this year on 17 April 2012, at age 96, in Makati. Used with permission (Thank you Aids Asis for the youtube video tribute).

For  her remarkable Carnival story, please refer to: MISSING MISS MINDANAO

225. Carnival Beauties: ELIA SANCHEZ, 1926 Miss Masbate

MAS BELLA! MASBATE! Elia Sanchez, the first and only known Miss Masbate to represent her island province of Masbate, at the 1926 Manila Carnival search for Miss Philippines.

The island of Masbate was just 4 years old when the local government joined the Manila Carnival as a form of support to the national festivities as well as to breastbeat the progress it has attained as an autonomous Philippine province.

Previously, Masbate was a part of Albay; it was declared a separate province  in 1864 with Guiom as its capital. Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo however, moved the capital to Masbate town, just before the declaration of the Philippine independence in 1898. With the arrival of the Americans, Masbate was again annexed to Sorsogon in 1908. It was finally declared an independent province with the approval of a bill on 1 February 1922.

In the revamped Manila Carnival 1926, Masbate was proudly represented by the dark-eyed mestiza beauty, Elia Sanchez, who blazed the trail by becoming the first and only known Masbateña to vie for the the Miss Philippines title.

Sanchez was educated at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and married Genaro D. Briz, (lawyer-governor of Bicol-Masbate, 1932-1934, later Justice of the Peace of Masbate, Masbate, 1946)  in her later life. Papa Naroy and Mama Eyang had four children: Jose  (a doctor who moved to the U.S.), Rafael (who remained in Masbate), Soledad, and Natividad Briz-de Matera. The couple raised their children in Masbate where they had a large and thriving coconut plantation. Mama Eyang was just in her 30s when she died unexpectedly of pneumonia in her 30s which she caught due to exposure.