37. SOCORRO HENSON: When Kapampangan Beauty Was In Flower

QUEEN OF THE MANILA CARNIVAL 1926. Socorro Henson,of Culiat (Angeles) aged 19, as she appeared in her official coronation picture, which had a Hindu-Arabic theme. She wore a sari gown, a rhinestone crown with a panache of pearls and rode an elephant to her proclamation night. Her King Consort is Vicente Rufino.

Philippine-American relations was at its most cordial in the early 1900s. To mark this harmonious period, a national fair was proposed. Thus was created the 1st Manila Carnival of 1908—2 weeks of revelry, parades, exhibits, sports competitions and crowd-drawing shows, held in February, at the old Wallace Field in Luneta.

Highlighting the Carnival was the crowning of the Carnival Queen, whose selection was based on ballots bought and cast in her favor through private subscription campaigns. As such, candidates often came from affluent backgrounds, like Pura Villanueva of Molo, Iloilo-the future Mrs. Teodoro Kalaw--who holds the distinction of being the first Carnival Queen of 1908. For many winners, the title was a passport to fame, fortune and social prominence. 1920 Queen Trinidad de Leon of Bulacan eventually married Manuel Roxas, while 1922’s Virginia Llamas married her escort, Carlos P. Romulo. Maria Kalaw, 1931 Queen and Pura’s daughter, went on to become a successful senator.

In 1926, the Manila Carnival committee decided to open another Miss Philippines Contest (won by Anita Noble of Batangas), but the luster of the original Carnival crown never dimmed. That year, a Kapampangan beauty reigned supreme: Queen Socorro I.

Socorro Henson, born 29 August 1907, was the eldest of 10 children of Jose Bartolome Henson of Angeles and Encarnacion Martinez Borcena, a Spanish mestiza from Manila. Her pharmacist-father, despite strong Pampanga roots, relocated to Manila, where he ran a thriving drugstore business. Along Solana Street, Intramuros where the Hensons resided, Socorro lived a very comfortable life, spending her high school years at the Assumption and later at the College of the Holy Ghost, for her college education. Her brothers, on the other hand, went to Ateneo and San Juan de Letran.

Socorro had a quiet kind of beauty and her complexion, as recalled by younger brother Col. Antonio Henson, was so translucent that you could see delicate traces of her veins. No wonder then that at the age of 19, in a glittering Hindu-Arabic themed pageant, Socorro was chosen Carnival Queen of 1926. Another kabalen (provincemate), Magalang beauty Lourdes Luciano, could have given her a stiff competition, had she not withdrawn her candidacy. Socorro thus claimed the crown unopposed; she holds the distinction of being the first Pampangueña to win a national beauty title. It is said that her patrician bearing captivated the judges and made many a head turn.

Her grateful and proud neighbors festooned the streets of Intramuros with colored buntings to celebrate her victory. At her coronation, she was resplendent in a beaded sari gown with a magnificent crown topped by a foot-long panache. The stately queen, seated on a howdah, was borne by a real elephant in her ceremonial evening parade. Her King Consort was Vicente Rufino. But another escort from her court caught her eye: Francisco Limjap y Escolar, of the influential and socially affluent Limjap clan from Manila. (Interesting to note that his brother, Perico, also took another Carnival Queen for his wife-- Neny Apacible who reigned in 1923).

Socorro and Francisco were married on 26 January 1928. Marriage did not deter her from completing her Home Economics degree at the Holy Ghost College. She bore four children: Francisco Jr.,, Baby, Josefina and Ginny. The older Francisco died on 8 October 1975. A few months later, on 26 February 1976, Socorro, the last of the original Carnival Queens, succumbed to cancer of the throat.

It can be said that long before the national triumphs of Pampanga-born binibinis and mutyas like Myrna Panlilio, Malou Apostol, Violeta Naluz, Melanie Marquez, Abbygale Arenas, Maricel Morales, Marilyn Maristela, Darlene Carbungco and Carla Gay Balingit, there was one original beauty who thrilled and captivated a whole nation 75 years ago, leaving a legacy of Kapampangan pulchritude at its most beautiful.
(1 March 2003)

15. WHEN THE 'CARNAVAL' CAME TO TOWN

MUNTA TAMU CARNAVAL! Pampanga caught the “carnaval” fever in 1925 as it held its own exposition of the best in agricultural and industrial produce. Most of the towns had showcase booths like those of Macabebe and Masantol

The very 1st Manila Carnival was conceived as early as September 1907, when American Capt. George T. Langhorne proposed the holding of an event as an exercise of goodwill and to celebrate Philippine-U.S. friendship. After all, the open hostility between Filipino political leaders and the U.S. colonizers have begun to abate with the inauguration of the 1st Philippine Assembly..

Capt. Langhorne asked the Philippine Assembly for a P50,000 funding to build a hall and “exhibit half-naked Igorots and set up amusements”. Gov. Gen. James Smith , shocked at the tone of the planned carnival, asked his Secretary of Commerce, Cameron Forbes to take over. Instead of a freakshow, Forbes designed an international exposition to showcase Philippine-American progress. The government subsidy was reduced and money was raised through various means like the search for the Carnival Queen, where one voted through cash donations.

The site of the Manila Carnival was the old Wallace Field in Luneta and Bagumbayan, whose perimeters were walled up with Pampanga sawali (woven bamboo). The area was stringed with lights, arches and blue and yellow banderitas (pennants)with entrance tickets priced at 20 centavos. In the very first Carnival, two queens with their king escorts reigned: Purita Kalaw of Iloilo as Queen of the Orient and Marjorie Colton, Queen of the Occident. The fair was marked with theatrical shows, masquerade balls, band competitions, sports fests and games galore.

Big commercial businesses, provincial governments and other agencies were invited to create their carrozas or floats, as well as set up exhibit booths. Fabrica de San Miguel for instance, had a float featuring men made of beer cans. Meralco’s float included a man holding a lightning, while Clarke, a Manila soda parlor business, had a float trailed by children distributing goodies. The exhibit booth of La Fortuna Fabrica de Biscochos was singled out for its creative representation of the Goddess of Plenty holding a cornucopia of biscuits and sweets.

Among the provinces, Cavite, Bulacan and Laguna were the first to sign up for the fair. Laguna showed-off its best produce in its 250 sq. m. agricultural and industrial booths. The well-presented products included fine rice varieties, textiles, sandals, buri hats from Liliw, fish from Laguna de Bay and mineral drinks from Mahayhay. No wonder, Laguna won the best pavilion award.

Cavite’s booth was well decorated but “the exterior was not inviting”. Bulacan opted for a “palacio” (palace) theme but the presentation of products was disorderly, which included Baliwag hats, rattan chairs (silleria de bejuco) from San Miguel de Mayumo, wines and chinelas (sandals) from Malolos, narra furniture from Angat, mats from Calumpit and salakots (native hats) and bilaos (woven winnowers) from Polo. “Pearl of the South” was the visual theme of the Cebu booth, which also included a Magellan figure. Iloilo was very innovative with the use of fruits and live butterflies!

The 1st carnival was a resounding success and before long, the“carnaval” spilled over to the provinces with each one holding their own provincial, city and town fair—from as far as Cebu, Iloilo, Ormoc to Cavite, Baguio, Tayabas, Tarlac and yes, Pampanga. The 1925 Pampanga Carnival was held in Angeles, and this picture shows the agricultural booths of Macabebe and Masantol. The gaily decorated booths were topped with an eagle figure symbolic of America and stylized plows representing Kapampangan agriculture. Young men in americana cerrada (American style clothes) and straw hats and ladies in saya (native skirts) manned the booths, shaded with curtains of shell beads and accented by what looked like coconut shells. One can make out canned and bottled preserves as part of the exhibit. Could these have been Pampanga’s fabled delicacies-- pickled achara, buro (fermented rice) or taba ning talangka (crab fat)? Were the fine bentwood Thonet-inspired rattan chairs also part of the showcase?

The highlight of every provincial fair was the nomination of a Queen to compete in the national finals. In 1925, Pampanga chose a multi-titled beauty, Rosario Panganiban of Macabebe. The next year, she competed in the 1st Philippine Beauty Contest (won by Batangas’ Anita Noble) the same year that Socorro Henson of Angeles won the Carnival Queen 1926 title. The carnivals in Pampanga turned out to be a highly organized and socially-prominent affair, with the 1933 edition being chaired by no less than Hon. Justice Jose Gutierrez David.

Behind the gaiety and the remarkable success of the annual fairs lay the real motive of the Carnival, a hard, unspoken truth articulated only years later by the 1st Carnival Queen herself, Pura Villanueva-Kalaw: the carnivals were an American idea, organized, executed and animated by the same. In the end, the Carnival was nothing more than a superficial attempt to divert the Filipinos from the real issues that plagued American colonial governance, a balm intended to soothe our wounded national pride.
(28 September 2002)

60. GUIA BALMORI, Miss Philippines 1938

HER MAJESTY, QUEEN GUIA I. Miss Philippines of the 1938 Philippine Exposition, Guia Balmori was the daughter of Kapampangan local labor leader from Bacolor, Joaquin Balmori and Rosario Gonzales. She was bron in Ermita and was named after the district’s patroness, Nuestra Señora de Guia.

CONSORTING WITH A KABALEN. Guia’s handsome escort at her coronation was Ernesto “Gatas” Santos, the youngest son of Don Teodor o V. Santos and Dna. Afriquita Santos of San Fernando, Pampanga. Ernesto’s daughter is the famed ballerina, Tina Santos.

By the late 1930s, the legendary Manila Carnivals that began in 1908 would undergo more changes as their novelty and attraction began to wear off. Much earlier, the first major adjustment was the abolition of the title “Carnival Queen”, which was last awarded in 1926 to Kapampangan Socorro Henson. Henceforth, all succeeding queens were given the title “Miss Philippines” starting with the 1st National Beauty Show (or Contest) of 1926, won by Anita Noble of Batangas. In 1937, the Manila Carnival was renamed as the Philippine Exposition.

In the Philippine Exposition of 1938, a beautiful Spanish mestiza with clear Kapampangan roots stole the show by winning the Miss Philippines crown. She was Guia Balmori, one of 13 children of Rosario Gonzales and Joaquin Balmori of Bacolor. It is interesting to note that in 1927, a Bacolor belle was also in the same pageant wearing the Miss Pampanga sash, Rosario Manuel.

Joaquin Balmori was a pioneer labor leader and organizer of labor unions in the Philippines. After breaking away from the Congreso de Obrero de Filipinas, he founded “Federacion del Trabajo de Filipinas” in 1917. He outlined union rules, making resolutions against strikes and other radical movements. Likewise, he urged labor unions to charge no fees or membership dues. Joaquin had another illustrious brother who left his mark in the literary world—Jesus “Batikuling” Balmori. Jesus was a master in Spanish poetry; he not only wrote poems and books but also engaged in verbal jousts in Spanish.

The Balmoris were to relocate to Ermita, Manila, and it was here that Guia was born. She was, in fact, named after the titular patroness of the district, Nuestra Señora de Guia. Guia was taking up a secretarial course at the University of Santo Tomas when she was invited to be a contestant for Miss Philippines. As expected, her candidacy was vehemently opposed by her father who saw the beauty pageant as nothing but a frivolous exercise. Likewise, her Catholic religious mentors in school who frowned upon such contests gave her lukewarm support.

But Guia, with her fine Castilian features, sweet disposition and disarming smile, surprised them all when she beat other favored contestants for the crown. Heavily supported by newspapers, she won without spending a single centavo. She succeeded the outgoing queen Carmen Zaldarriaga as Miss Philippines of 1938. Completing her court of honor were Rosario Ferro (Miss Luzon), Belen de Guzman (Miss Mindanao) and Marina Lopez (Miss Mindanao). At her coronation, she chose the dashing son of a family friend and a fellow Kapampangan as consort—Ernesto “Gatas” Santos. Ernesto’s father was the prominent sugar baron from San Fernando, Don Teodoro Santos. Ernesto himself would be the father of an accomplished international dancer, Tina Santos, who went on to become a prima ballerina of Harkness Ballet.

Guia looked every inch a queen in her coronation gown done by then rising couturier Ramon Valera. Her prize money of P1,000 was handed to her discreetly, placed in an envelope tucked into her bouquet. Two years after her memorable reign, she married Jose Avelino Jr., the son of the Commonwealth Secretary of Public Works and later the Senate President. They were blessed with 7 children. Settled in Parañaque, Guia and her daughter operated a beauty parlor in Makati sometime in the 1980s.

It is heartening to know that in the waning years of the Carnival, a girl with Kapampangan blood lit the national stage with her outstanding beauty, wit and personality, giving Pampanga one last proud and shining moment, before the fairs drew to a permanent close a year later.

POSTSCRIPT: Guai Balmori passed away on 12 Dec. 2006, just before her 86th birthday. Four days after, her husband followed, leading a granddaughter to observe that "even in death they could not stand to be apart."

*262. 1953 Mrs. Philippines: ESTRELLA OCAMPO LOPEZ of San Fernando

COVER GIRL. Estrella Ocampo Lopez of San Fernando, winner of the 1953 Mrs. Philippines quest launched by Weekly Woman's Magazine. She was crowned at the auditorium of the 1st Philippine International Fair, country's biggest post-war event in 1953.

The year 1953 began on an exciting note for the Philippines. On 1 February, the 1953 Philippines International Fair reeled off at the Luneta, a three-month celebration of 500 years of Philippine progress. The fair, a huge and daring enterprise never before attempted since the first Manila Carnival of 1908, was laid out at the Luneta featuring not only national government and provincial exhibits but also foreign pavilions.

Countries like Thailand, China Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Spain, Sweden, U.S. Korea, Italy, China and Belgium lent their participation. One highlight of the fair was the selection of the Miss Philippines who will serve as the welcome official of the fair. The 1st Miss Universe, Armi Kuusela, was invited to crown the eventual winner, Maria Cristina Galang of Tarlac.

The first international fair that sought to depict the Philippines as the “Gateway to the East” generated much interest and was covered extensively by media. One women’s magazine even dared to ride on the popularity of the Miss Philippines pageant by conducting its own beauty search, this time, for the fairest married Filipina of the land. The Weekly Women’s Magazine, a widely circulated female-oriented magazine invited its readers to send nominees to the said “WWM Mrs. Philippines Contest”, even as it issued a disclaimer reminding its readers that their contest should not be confused with the Miss Philippines search that was also being conducted at the same time.

Ballots were printed on the magazine worth 10 votes, which a reader could fill up with the name of her favored nominee and mailed back to the publication. The candidate receiving the most number of votes at the end of the contest—18 April 1953 to be exact—will be proclaimed as “Mrs. Philippines”.

The response to the contest was tremendous—after all, the grand prize was a modern house designed by Arch. Angel E. Nakpil, which was put on display at the International Fair. Hundreds of nominees from different provinces of the Philippines were received—including Pampanga, which had about 11 candidates by the end of the contest: Estrella Lopez, Carmen Alfonso, Teodora de Mesa, Providencia Ramos, Lucia Lavares, Gloria Mejia, Rosario Songco, Adoracion Nicolas, Marcelina Valencia, Julia Escobar and Vicenta Nicdao. Married women of all sorts—movie celebrities, former beauty queens, lawyers, teachers, housekeepers—made the final list of nominees.

When the first batch of votes were tallied, a Kapampangan matron from San Fernando surprised contest organizers by copping the top slot early in the contest. Mrs. Estrella Ocampo Lopez amassed 23,370 votes after the February tally, way ahead of second placer Lucia Garcia of Bacolod who had 14,120. Estrella was quickly hustled off to Manila so she could have her picture taken for the February 27 cover of the prestigious magazine. She solidified her lead after the May 20 counting, getting 113, 910 to Manila’s Nena Aragon who had 85, 820. Her campaign slowed down a bit after March—119,690 to Lucia Garcia, who regained her 2nd place position with 104, 690 total. Mrs. Lopez never surrendered her lead at the contest’s end in April, winning handily over such heavyweight candidates as former Miss Philippines 1937 Mrs. Chita Zaldarriaga Arnaiz, actresses Mrs. Tessie Quintana-Reyes and Mrs. Lilia Dizon-de Leon, society ladies Mrs. Purita Kalaw-Ledesma and Nora V. Daza and lawyer Corazon J. Agrava.

She not only won a house but also stainless kitchen tool set, a pressure cooker from Philippine Manufacturing Company, supplies of Palmolive soaps, Colgate toothpaste, a General Electric combination refrigerator-freezer, a terno from Madonna Fashion hop and a free hairdo from Realistic Beauty Salon—prizes that every accomplished missus would certainly love to have.

Mrs. Estrella Ocampo Lopez was officially crowned as the first ever “Mrs. Philippines” together with her court of honor—Mrs. Luzon, Mrs. Visayas and Mrs. Mindanao—at the Philippine International Fair Auditorium, the pride of Pampanga, and of the millions of happy Filipina homemakers all over the country.

*344. PICTURE-PERFECT: The Kapampangan Eye Behind the Camera

CLICK NA CLICK! Ace photographer Ricardo Reyes Twaño of San Fernando, owner-manager of Twaño Studio, the capital town's leading portrait salon in the 50s.

 “Pretty as a picture!”
That’s how a person of impeccable looks is often described—no bad angles, beautiful, whether from a distance or up close. But in truth, it takes more than a pretty face to be “Miss or Mr. Photogenic”—it is oftentimes the discerning eye behind the camera that can make or break the picture-perfect shot.

Since the advent of modern photography, Kapampangans have developed an eye for this art, creating pictures that not only document and preserve the moment, but also tell stories, capture realities, instruct and inspire.

 One of the earliest Kapampangan ace photographer was the prodigious Jose Ma. Piñon whose studios churned out “carte-de-visite”—small visiting card portraits popularized by the Victorian age. Piñon also took photos of the historic events in Malolos aduring the years of the Revolution.

 In the first two decades of the 20th century, Pampanga’s most in-demand photographers were Ramon Dizon (1882-1956) and Julio Valenzuela (1883-1940), who had studios in Angeles. They did mostly portraits—from solo sittings to family and wedding entourages. They were part of  the large Nepomuceno and Henson clans (Valenzuela, by marriage to Nemesia Henson Nepomuceno)  so it was said that they never ran out of subjects to shoot!.

 In the Commonwealth years, Juan de la Cruz Studio, under the proprietorship of Rogerio Lagman, rose to national prominence after being named as the official photographer of the 1933 Pampanga Carnival and Exposition.

Salon photography was certainly elevated to high art by Pablo “Bob” Razon who established a photo shop near the Manila Grand Opera along Avenida in 1946. His first patrons were Americans and their girlfriends; they could not pronounce his nickname “Pabs”, so they called him “Bob’s”, and the rest is history. Bob photographed presidents, moguls and mavens, socialites and royalties, celebrities and scions, with a long, successful career that ended only with his death in 2013. Today, he is acknowledged as the undisputed “Dean of Philippine Portraiture”.

Less well-known, but certainly just as skilled was Ricardo Reyes Twaño (b. 1922) of San Fernando. He was trained in Manila studios where he photographed personalities from Hollywood stars (John Wayne, Cyd Charisse, Harry Belafonte), statesmen (he photographed Pres. Carlos Garcia and family) plus scores of local showbiz celebrities, from Nida Blanca to Susan Roces. He set up the Twaño Studio right next to Pampanga Hotel which enjoyed quite a large patronage, especially from students amd American servicemen.

Selegna is perhaps Angeles’ most iconic photo studio run by the Pamintuans. The "home of glamour, haven of distinction" has been in service for over 60 years; its main shop was originally located along Henson St., with a branch at Sto. Rosario St. In the 50s, it specialized in glamourized portraits, family pictures, baby portraits and class pictures, with free panchromatic make-up.  Today, Selegna continues to be favored by students for their yearbooks, debutantes, prom queens and kings as well as newlyweds.

Romeo V. Vitug of Guagua began a career in journalism as a photographer for many publications like The Sunday Times Magazine. His photos were often used as covers in the tumultuous ‘70s. From photography, he shifted to cinematography and earned awards for his work in many Philippine movie classics that include Brocka's "Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa", "Atsay", "Wanakosey", "Bituing Walang Ningning", "Pagputi na ang Uwak, Pag Itim na ang Tagak", and "Madame X".

In the 80s, the place to go for picture and video documentations was Mukha Photography. It was put up by Rolly Baron (his mother comes from Dau), who dropped out of Ateneo to pursue his love of photography. His first successful offerings were portraits in either color or black and white, mounted on boards. He branched out to event coverages—weddings, baptisms, debuts, reunions—which made Mukha Photography a national name.

Never has photography in Pampanga seen livelier times than now, with more and more Kapampangans taking up the camera in the hope of following the footsteps of Holy Angel alumni Yen Baet. Her husband started her interest in photography and she surprised everyone by winning First Prize in a contest sponsored by National Geographic. Today, she is ranked as one of the world’s top ten travel photographers.

Another award winner is Ruston Banal Jr., who placed third at the World Photography Organization’s Sony World Photography 2013 contest with his work, "Kuraldal". He describes his works as "visual anthropology", with focus on people and social atmosphere where culture and heritage revolve".

Then there’s Angeleño Jason Paul Laxamana, who made a big leap from photography to film, megging the acclaimed, “Babagwa” for the 2013 Cinemalaya Film Festival. It has since made the rounds of moviehouses worldwide.

Cameras have gone digital, making photography so simple for everyone to do—no more films, no more developing process, no more waiting—just point and shoot. What has not changed is the perceptive eye behind the camera, who sees more than a subject in front of him, but a picture-perfect story about to unfold.