Background
Her mother is writer and journalist Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, and her maternal uncle is writer and diplomat León María Guerrero III.
Her mother is writer and journalist Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, and her maternal uncle is writer and diplomat León María Guerrero III.
Araneta received an "Outstanding Manileña" and a "Golden Heart" Presidential decoration from President Diosdado Macapagal. Araneta"s paternal great-grandmother was Doña Maria Mercado, the sister of the Philippine"s national hero, José Rizal. She earned the right to represent the country by winning the pageant, sponsored by the City of Manila in 1964.
This led the Congress to pass a resolution to exempt her from paying taxes.
Araneta first entered public service in 1968 when then-President Ferdinand Marcos appointed her Director of the National Museum. She was appointed Secretary of Tourism by President Joseph Estrada, a position she held from June 30, 1998 to January 20, 2001.
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 Conservation Society of the Philippines and was re-elected in February 2006.
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.
To date, Araneta has authored and co-authored six books on Philippine History and other related topics, namely: Makisig, the Little Hero of Mactan Hanoi Diary: Beauty and Fashion for the Filipina (co-author) Sentimiento: Fiction and Nostagia Katha at Salamisim El Galeon de Manila: Un March de Historias (co-author) Stones of Faith.
She was concurrently a member of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. In April 2010, Araneta was named as one of the members of the Board of Regents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.