Gemma Cruz-Araneta Explained

Gemma Cruz-Araneta
Miss Philippines 1964
Miss International 1964
Nationalcompetition:Miss Philippines 1964
(Winner)
Miss International 1964
(Winner)
Birth Place:Manila, Philippines
Birth Name:Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz
Birth Date:1943 9, df=
Eye Color:Brown
Hair Color:Black
Module:
Embed:yes
Office:Secretary of Tourism
President:Joseph Ejercito Estrada
Term Start:July 1, 1998
Term End:January 19, 2001
Predecessor:Mina Gabor
Successor:Richard J. Gordon

Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz-Araneta (in Tagalog pronounced as /ˈkɾus ɐɾɐˈnɛtɐ/; born September 30, 1943) is a Filipino politician, writer, director and beauty queen who served as the secretary of tourism under the administration of Joseph Estrada from 1998 to 2001. Previously, Araneta was crowned Miss International 1964, becoming the first Filipino, as well as the first Asian to win the title. She received an "Outstanding Manileña" and a "Golden Heart" Presidential decoration from the former Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal.

Heritage

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

Pageantry

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

In a 2021 podcast, Araneta commented that her victory at the Miss International pageant may had been a political ploy to deflect scrutiny away from the United States amidst the then-ongoing Vietnam War. Prior to the pageant, she thought that "Maybe this is the time for an Asian, you know, to win".[4]

Career

Araneta first entered public service in 1968 when 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, until the Estrada administration was overthrown on January 20, 2001 as a result of the Second EDSA Revolution.[5] She resumed her writing career in 2001 and has now a bi-weekly column editorial section in the Manila Bulletin.

In 2003, she was elected director/trustee and president of the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines and was re-elected in February 2006.[6]

On May 16, 2005, Araneta started hosting a daily radio programme, Krus Na Daan (Filipino for "Crossroads") on DZRJ 810 and a weekly television show, Only Gemma! on Rajah Broadcasting Network.[7]

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

Works

Araneta has authored and co-authored several books on Philippine history and other related topics, namely:

Personal life

Araneta is married to Antonio "Tonypet" Araneta and they have two children, Fatimah and Leon.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Teodoro . Luis . Dynasty . 2007-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070820235112/http://www.luisteodoro.com/archives/2005/09/12/dynasty/ . 2007-08-20.
  2. Web site: Rizal Family Tree . 2008-03-19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080315224512/http://pages.prodigy.net/manila_girl/rizal/tree.htm . 2008-03-15 .
  3. Web site: Congratulations to Precious Lara Quigaman . 2007-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120213222408/http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t45473.html . 2012-02-13 . dead .
  4. Web site: Why Gemma Cruz-Araneta's Miss International win might have been a "political" move . 2023-03-28 . PEP.ph . en.
  5. Web site: Link broken as of 2008-03-19 . 2007-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070323050545/http://www.pathfinder.com/asiaweek/98/1009/nat1.html . 2007-03-23.
  6. News: Picornell . Jaime . Casa Gorordo Museum reopens on Aug. 21 . Cebu Daily News . 2006-08-02 . 2006-06-07 .
  7. Web site: Link broken as of 2008-03-19 . 2007-06-07.
  8. Book: Cruz, Gemma Guerrero . Makisig : the little hero of Mactan . 1964 . Makati, Rizal, Philippines: Pamana . English.
  9. Book: Araneta, Gemma Cruz 1943- . Hanoi diary . 1968 . [s.n.].
  10. Web site: Sentimiento: Fiction & nostalgia = Katha at salamisim - Cruz-Araneta, Gemma: 9789712704161 - AbeBooks . 2023-09-24 . www.abebooks.com . en.
  11. Web site: Suarez . K. D. . 2013-12-22 . Remembering the Year of Gemma . 2023-09-24 . RAPPLER . en-US.
  12. Web site: Goodreads . 2023-09-24 . Goodreads . en.
  13. Book: Araneta, Gemma Cruz 1943- . Stones of faith Roman Catholic churches in the Philippines = Les pierres dela fei eglises catholiques romaines aux Philippines . 1998 . Paris-Manila Technology Corp..
  14. Book: Araneta-Cruz, Gemma 1943- . Rizal's true love . 2014 . Cruz Publishing . 978-971-95067-2-0 . Second edition..