320. Celebrity Endorser: GEMMA G. CRUZ, Miss International 1964

GEMMA'S CHOICE IS LADY'S CHOICE, 1965

The honor of being the first Filipina to win a world beauty title belongs to Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz (b. 30 Sep.1943), who was crowned Miss International of 1964 in Long Beach, California on Aug. 14, 1964. She was also the first Asian to win the title. 

GEMMA CRUZ,  AT HER MISS INTERNATIONAL CROWNING

The statuesque Cruz has an illustrious pedigree, the daughter of writer and journalist Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, and Ysmael Arguelles Cruz. Araneta's paternal great-grandmother was Doña Maria Mercado, sister of Dr., José Rizal, which makes her a great grandniece of the national hero.

 WATCH GEMMA'S CROWNING AS MISS INTERNATIONAL 1964

Cruz endeared herself to her countrymen when she donated her prize money of  US$10,000 to Manila Boys Town and Girls Home, which sponsored her in the Miss Philippines contest.  She came home to a triumphant welcome., with a ticker tape parade in Manila.

 It’s almost expected that an international beauty contest winner will be deluged with offers from advertising agencies and movie producers after her reign. But surprisingly, Gemma appeared in just a handful of ads. 

AS A FASHION MODEL, 1964

Pre-Miss International, she had dabbled in fashion modeling and was featured in at least one print ad for HELENE CURTIS  COLOR ESSENCE hair coloring product in 1963.

GEMMA CRUZ IN A RARE AD APPEARANCE, 1963

 After her historic win in Long Beach, Cruz was seen in at least 2 print ads for LADY’S CHOICE and ROSE BLOOM scented hair sprays. It would seem that Cruz did not pose exclusively for these products; instead, she made a pool photographs dressed in one attire, which were used as ‘photo clips’ for a variety of products. 

GEMMA CRUZ, FOR ROSE BLOOM HAIR SPRAY, 1965

After her reign, Gemma Cruz married Tonypet Araneta in Avila, Spain with whom he had  2 children. She had been a director of the National Museum in 1968. She eventually moved to Mexico, and came back after Marcos was deposed. She was appointed Secretary of Tourism (1998-2001) by President Joseph Estrada.  A member of the National Heritage Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), she also became president of the Heritage Conservation Society. Cruz has 7 books to her credit, mostly history-base books, and is currently a columnist for Manila Bulletin.

SOURCES:

Youtube; Miss International Beauty 1964 (1964), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6XNkiHifCY, uploaded by British Pathé