Cebu's Carnival Queens 1914-1941
Updated 2022 by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (ceciliabrainard.com)
I did research for a couple of articles about Cebu's Carnival Queens. It's published in Positively Filipino, click here. In a nutshell, Cebu celebrated the Carnival similar to that in Manila. While Manila's Carnival started in 1908, Cebu started in 1914.
The Carnival was an extravanganza that included circus; parades; exhibits; vaudevilles; military displays; comedies; comparsas; costume and masquerade balls, including the popular Children’s Fancy Dress Ball. But the highlight was the coronation of the Carnival Queen. Before the queen’s crowning however, there was a huge buildup, starting with the recruitment of the candidates, judging or counting of ballots, and so on. The Carnival Queen events were thematic (Arabic, Greek, Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese, etc.) allowing for exotic and extravagant costumes for all, including the queen’s court, which had a king consort, damas (maids of honor), and sometimes page boys and attending girls. Since there were nightly events, participants needed many outfits.
My articles will provide more information and I will provide the links later on, but here are the Cebu's Carnival Queens from 1914-1941. Thanks to Isidra Reyes and Alex Castro who has blogs about the Philippine Carnival. including Cebu Carnivals. If you have pictures of Cebu Carnival Queens, please let me know.
Cebu’s
Carnival Queens from 1914-1941
1914 - Enriqueta Lasso de Vega Aldanese: (photos above) Daughter of Carlos Owens Aldanese and Carmen Figueroa Lasso de Vega, Enriqueta was a Spanish-English mestiza from Sibonga, Cebu. In 1914, she was also named Dia del Espanol Queen. In 1918 she became queen for both the Manila and Zamboanga Carnival. Orphaned at a young age, she lived with her older brother, Vicente, in Zamboanga. She attended Inmaculada Concepcion in Cebu and an Italian Convent School in Hong Kong. She married Jose Paris, an electrical engineer who worked for the Luzon Stevedoring Company. They had three children. Her husband died of a heart attack during the War and Enriqueta took care of her children on her own. She lived to be in her 80s.
1915 - Rosario Chiong Veloso Singson: Rosario’s parents were Segundo Singson and Eleuteria Rosales Chiong Veloso. The Chiong Veloso wealth allowed Rosario and her sisters, Genoveva and Paz, to go on shopping sprees in New York, Paris, London, Rome, and Hong Kong. Rosario was married to Virgilio Gonzalez and they had seven children. She passed away on May 22, 1984 at the age of 85.
1916 – no record
1917 – Basilisa Abad: This beauty from Barili married Dr. Atenzo and lived in Mindanao with her children.
1918 – Rosario Llamas: She was a Spanish mestiza from the Parian.
1919 – no carnival this year out of deference to World War One in Europe.
1920 – Dolores Carratala Veloso. She was the daughter of Mariano Veloso and Consuelo Carratala (Consuelo was the daughter of Barcelona-born Engineer Enrique Carratala and Feliciana Enriquez). Dolores married her king consort Simon Ramos Paterno, the brother-in-law of Vicente Lopez Madrigal. She passed away at the age of 68 in 1966.
1921 – Amparo Mellado: She married the Spanish-Chinese mestizo Juan Royo; and they had three children: Mario, Jesus, and Pilar.
1922 – Vicenta Chiong Veloso Osmeña: One of ten children of Estefania Chiong Veloso and President Sergio Osmeña, Vicenta married Juan Veloso. She had a daughter Estefania O. Veloso Enriquez. Born in 1902, Vicenta died in 1982.
1923 – Angeles Osmeña Climaco: The last queen to be crowned at the Fuente Osmeña Circle, she was the daughter of Cebu’s 7th Governor Arsenio Climaco and Juanita Osmeña. Her escort at her coronation was Nick Osmeña, eldest son of President Sergio Osmeña. She married Dr. Ildefonso Ubud.
1924 – no record
1925 – Cecilia Michael: Her king consort was Francisco Racaza. She was Miss Cebu in the 1926 Manila Carnival pageant. She was married to Rafael Ramos.
1926 – no record
1927 - Encarnacion Livioco: The daughter of Cebu’s provincial treasurer, Encarnacion or Encarnita, grew up in Manila. Her king consort was Victorino O. Climaco, pharmacist and younger brother of 1923’s Queen Angeles. She married Jose J. Atienza St. and was the mother of former Manila Mayor Jose Lito Atienza.
1928 – no carnival this year
1929 – no record
1930 - Maria Consuelo Cabasa: The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Juan Cabasa from the Pasil District, Maria was chosen after an extensive and competitive search for a queen by Jose Nolasco. Her damas (maids of honor) were Maria del Mar (Miss Parian) and Remedios Manlunas (Miss Sambag); her king consort was Paciano Reyes. She married Captain Gallardo from Bohol.
1931 - Concepcion Alesna Cuenco: She was the daughter of the politician Governor/Senator Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Filomena Alesna from Carcar. Her king consort was Dr. Protacio V. Solon. Concepcion was also selected Miss Free Press Cebu for 1931 and 1932. She married Engineer Mariano Flores Manguerra; they had four children. She died at the age of 90 on December 1, 2002. (She was this author's mother.)
1932 - Evangelina Macaraeg: She was the daughter of a district engineer from Pangasinan who was assigned to Cebu. She was a pre-med student and cadet sponsor at the Cebu Junior College branch of the University of the Philippines. She married Diosdado Macapagal who was the 9th president of the Philippines. She was the mother of the 14th Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. She died at the age of 83 on May 16, 1999.
1933 – Rosita Veloso: Rosita came from Malitbog, Leyte. Her king consort was Bernardo Torres. She married Dr. Leonardo S. Villa.
1934 - Maria Ong y Lagrimas: A Chinese mestiza, Maria Ong attended Southern College. She won all the beauty queen contests held in 6 Cebu districts. Her Court of honor included: Julia Mac Vean (Miss Luzon), Julita Veloso Abad (Miss Visayas), and Daisy P. Hontiveros (Miss Mindanao).
1935 - Angeles Noel: Coming from the Noel family of Carcar, Angeles studied at the Cebu High School. Her king consort was Eddie Molina, a Philippine Military Academy graduate. Another beautiful Noel from Carcar, Amparo, had been Queen of the Visayas in 1912.
1936 - Carmen Regis Roa: She was the daughter of Governor Jose Roa and Apolonia Regis from Carcar. Her king consort was Senator Sergio Osmeña, Jr. She died in December 1941 in the World War Two sinking of the passenger ship S.S. Corregidor in the Manila Bay.
1937 - Milagros Valenzuela: Oldest child of Ramiro Valenzuela and Josefina Dela Victoria, Milagros was selected Free Press Cebu for 1937 and 1938. She married her king consort Manuel Urgello. They had five children. She passed away in 1950.
1938 - Corazon Echavez: She was the daughter of Vicente Echavez of Aloguinsan, Cebu. She attended the Little Flower of Jesus Academy. Her escort was her older brother Vicente Jr. She married a lawyer who became a judge.
1939 - Mary Gullas: She was the only daughter of Representative of the 2nd District of Cebu Paulino Gullas. She married her king consort, a lawyer, Mike Jayme.
1940 - Cristina Aberasturi and Carmen Gonzales: There were two Carnival Queens in Cebu in 1940.
Cristina Aberasturi was a Spanish mestiza who attended St. Catherine’s College in Carcar. Her court included: Milagros Lebumfacil (Miss Luzon, who married Imelda Marcos’ elder brother), Amelia Tan Villanueva (Miss Visayas), and Soledad Misa (Miss Mindanao).
The second 1940 queen, Carmen Gonzales, was a Spanish mestiza who attended St. Theresa’s College. She was nicknamed after the popular Canadian actress of the time, Deanna Durbin. She reigned from February 24 to March 10, 1940. Her court included: Bernardita Tabada (Miss Luzon), Elena Borromeo Herrera (Miss Visayas), and Dolores Dineros (Miss Mindanao).
1941 – Florencia “Nena” Singson Gonzalez and Flordeliza Mancao: Despite the signs of an impending war, 1941 had two Cebu Carnival Queens.
The first 1941 queen was Florencia Singson Gonzales from Lahug. Known as Nena, she was the daughter of Virgilio Gonzalez and Rosario Singson Gonzalez. She married Enrique Belo and was the adoptive mother of noted dermatologist Vicki Belo. Nena was the subject of an unfinished portrait by Fernando Amorsolo, his famous last work that hangs in the National Museum. She died at the age of 88 on May 11, 2016.
The second queen for 1941 was Flordeliza Panuncialman Mancao, who as Miss Labor Day was chosen to reign over the Labor Day celebration. She was the daughter of Pedro Mancao and Sofia Panuncialman of Carcar. Her escort was Engineer Cesar Dakay. Leon Guinto who was the Mayor of Manila and Secretary of Labor crowned her. She married Dr. Rafael Ong of Capiz. She taught Home Economics at the Carcar Central School.
I have another blog about related matters to Cebu's Carnival Queens and old time Cebu beauty queens -- https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/01/cebu-carnival-and-other-queens.html
The author, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, is the author and editor of over 20 books. Her third novel, The Newspaper Widow, is a literary mystery set in Ubec during Carnival Time.
Read also this article in Positively Filipino: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/all-hail-cebus-carnival-queens-1914-1941
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Official Website:
tags: #Carnivalqueens #Philippinecarnival #Cebucarnival #manilacarnival #philippinebeautyqueens
Cebu, Philippines
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