Gemma Cruz-Araneta

This name uses Philippine naming customs for married women. The birth maternal family name is Guerrero, the birth paternal family name is Cruz, and the marital name is Araneta.
Gemma Cruz–Araneta
Beauty pageant titleholder
Born Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz
(1943-09-30) September 30, 1943
Philippines
Hair color Black
Eye color Brown
Title(s) Miss International 1964
Major
competition(s)		 Miss International 1964
(Winner)

Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz-Araneta (born September 30, 1943) is a Filipino politician, writer, director, and beauty queen who won Miss International 1964 becoming the first Filipino and Asian to win the title. Araneta received an "Outstanding Manileña" and a "Golden Heart" Presidential decoration from President Diosdado Macapagal .

Heritage

Araneta's paternal great-grandmother was Doña Maria Mercado, the sister of the Philippine's national hero, José Rizal.[1][2] Her mother is writer and journalist Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, and her maternal uncle is writer and diplomat León María Guerrero III.

Rise to fame

She earned the right to represent the country by winning the Miss Philippines pageant, sponsored by the City of Manila in 1964. Araneta donated the US$10,000 prize money she won as Miss International to Manila Boys Town and Girls Home, a place where indigent and out of school youth are housed, in Marikina City, Philippines. This led the Congress to pass a resolution to exempt her from paying taxes.[3]

Career

Gemma Cruz-Araneta
Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines
In office
July 1, 1998 – January 19, 2001
President Joseph Estrada
Preceded by Mina T. Gabor
Succeeded by Richard J. Gordon

Araneta first entered public service in 1968 when then-President Ferdinand Marcos appointed her Director of the National Museum. She was concurrently a member of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. She was appointed Secretary of Tourism by President Joseph Estrada, a position she held from June 30, 1998 to January 20, 2001.[4] She resumed her writing career in 2001 and has now a bi-weekly column editorial section in Manila Bulletin.

In 2003, she was elected director/trustee and president of Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines and was re-elected in February 2006.[5]

On May 16, 2005, Araneta started hosting a daily radio program, Krus Na Daan (Filipino for "Crossroads") on DZRJ 810 and a weekly television show, "Only Gemma!" on Rajah Broadcasting Network.[6]

To date, Araneta has authored and co-authored six books on Philippine History and other related topics, namely:

In April 2010, Araneta was named as one of the members of the Board of Regents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

References

  1. ↑ Teodoro, Luis. "Dynasty". Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  2. ↑ "Rizal Family Tree". Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  3. ↑ "Congratulations to Precious Lara Quigaman". Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  4. ↑ "Link broken as of 2008-03-19". Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  5. ↑ Picornell, Jaime (2006-08-02). "Casa Gorordo Museum reopens on Aug. 21". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
  6. ↑ "Link broken as of 2008-03-19". Retrieved 2007-06-07.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Iceland Guðrún Bjarnadóttir		 Miss International
Philippines 1964 		Succeeded by
Germany Ingrid Finger
Political offices
Preceded by
Mina T. Gabor		 Secretary of Tourism
1998 – 2001 		Succeeded by
Richard J. Gordon
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