The poignant story of an Ibaloi beauty queen, Chainus Guirey, Baguio's first Carnival Queen in 1915, grabs the limelight anew in this year's pre-centennial issue of the BAGUIO City Yearbook, a glossy magazine published by yours truly and Jack CariƱo.
Chainus became the toast of the Manila leg of the beauty contest, partly because of the Ibaloi gold accessories she wore then. At the time, the City of Pines as Summer Capital for the American colonial government was also in the headlines as a sore issue among the Filipino nationalists.
But there's a tragic twist to her story -- Chainus died shortly after her rise to fame. During her funeral, schools were closed and classes were suspended. A large crowd, including VIPs, the religious and politicians of the day, attended her burial on Oct. 5, 1920, which was pre-faced by a requiem mass.
More on this in the BAGUIO City Yearbook magazine pages, NOW available in Baguio local outlets.
It will be available soon at Popular Bookstore and National Bookstore branches in Metro Manila, Subic, Clark, Dagupan, Vigan, Tuguegarao, all branches in Visayas and Mindanao.
Related LINK--- (Excerpts...)
Baguio's Forgotten Ibaloi Heritage