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.