Gemma Cruz Araneta

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Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz Araneta is the first Philippine delegate to win the Miss International title in the pageant's fifth edition in Long Beach, California in 1964. She is also the first Filipina to win an international beauty pageant tilt.

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

Mayor Antonio Villegas gave Gemma the "Outstanding Manilena" and President Diosdado Macapagal awarded her the "Golden Heart" Presidential decoration.

[edit] Family background and public service

A public figure, Gemma's ancestral heritage features prominent personalities in Philippine history. Maria Rizal, a sister of Jose Rizal, the country's national hero, is her great grandmother. Her mother Carmen Guerrero was married to Capt. Ismael Argüelles Cruz, the grandson of Maria Rizal and Daniel Cruz. He was tortured and killed by Japanese soldiers, together with his father Mauricio Cruz (son of Maria Rizal) during the 'Liberation of Manila' in February 1945. Carmen Guerrero vda. de Cruz married Arch. Angel Nakpil ( also a widower) in 1952. He was a nephew of Julio Nakpil, aide de camp of Andres Bonifacio, Supremo of the Katipunan. Julio was the musician of the Revolution, composed a national anthem which unfortunately was not used by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Julio married Bonifacio's widow, Gregoria de Jesus. Gemma has many cousins who are also descendants of Rizal's sisters. An aunt married a scion of the Laurel family, which gave the country a president, a vice president, a senator and university president.

Through her own marriage to Dr. Antonio Sebastian Araneta, Phd. Oxon, ( son of Atty. J. Antonio Araneta and Margarita Rebullida, she is conjugally related to almost all the families that produced the lineup of Philippine leaders up to the present, as well as aristocratic clans of regional influences. Another member of the Araneta clan is George who married the first winner of Miss International, Maria Stella Márquez Zawadzky.

Gemma 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 (now Institute). She was appointed Secretary of the Department of Tourism by President Joseph Estrada, a position she held from June 30 1998 to 20 January 2001. Her term lasted until January 20, 2001.

In 2003, She was elected director/trustee and president of Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines (HCS)and was re-elected in February 2006.The HCS has an on-going project with the Department of Education-- "Heritage Schoolhouses Restoration Program". So far, three American colonial period school houses have been restored to their former glory, enhancing the national inventory of schools.

She resumed her writing career in 2001 and has now a bi-weekly column (Tuesdays and Thursdays) in Manila Bulletin (op/editorial section).

On 16 May 2005, Gemma was invited by Rajah Broadcasting Corp. to host a daily radio program "Krus na daan" (Crossroads) at DZRJ, 810 khz, 5 - 6 pm(www.rjplanet.com.ph) and a weekly tv show, "Only Gemma !" every Monday. Both programs are on their third year.

Gemma is the author of six books: (1)Makisig, the Little Hero of Mactan,(2) Hanoi Diary,(3) Beauty and Fashion for the Filipina (co-author),(4)Sentimiento: Fiction and Nostagia, Katha at Salamisim, (5)El Galeon de Manila: un mar de historias (co-author) and (6) Stones of Faith.