Gemma Cruz-Araneta
Gemma Cruz-Araneta | |
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Born | Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz September 30, 1943 |
Title | Binibining Pilipinas 1964 Miss International 1964 |
Beauty pageant titleholder | |
Hair color | Black |
Eye color | Brown |
Major competition(s) | Binibining Pilipinas 1964 (Winner – Binibining Pilipinas International 1964) 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. She 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 Philippines' 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. She donated the US$10,000 prize money she won as Miss International to 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][unreliable source?]
Career[]
Gemma Cruz-Araneta | |
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Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines | |
In office July 1, 1998 – January 19, 2001 | |
President | Joseph Ejercito Estrada |
Preceded by | Mina T. Gabor |
Succeeded by | Richard J. Gordon |
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 to January 20, 2001.[4] 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.[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 seven books on Philippine history and other related topics, namely:[citation needed]
- Makisig, the Little Hero of Mactan
- Hanoi Diary: Beauty and Fashion for the Filipina (co-author)
- Sentimiento: Fiction and Nostagia
- Katha at Salamisim
- El Galeón de Manila: Un Mar de Historias (co-author)
- Stones of Faith
- Rizal's True Love
In April 2010, Araneta was named as one of the members of the Board of Regents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
References[]
- ^ Teodoro, Luis. "Dynasty". Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ "Rizal Family Tree". Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
- ^ "Congratulations to Precious Lara Quigaman". Archived from the original on 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ "Link broken as of 2008-03-19". Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ Picornell, Jaime (2006-08-02). "Casa Gorordo Museum reopens on Aug. 21". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved 2006-06-07.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Link broken as of 2008-03-19". Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- 1943 births
- Living people
- Miss International winners
- Araneta family
- Filipino politicians of Chinese descent
- Filipino politicians of Japanese descent
- Filipino people of Spanish descent
- People from Manila
- Secretaries of Tourism of the Philippines
- Miss International 1964 delegates
- Filipino beauty pageant winners
- Filipino non-fiction writers
- Filipino historians
- Estrada Administration cabinet members
- Guerrero family of Manila
- Manila Bulletin people
- Women members of the Cabinet of the Philippines
- Women historians