EXCLUSIVE: 14 Things About Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo
The proud Ilongga says, “Despite everything, 2020 is my year!” Indeed it is, and she’s claiming 2021 to be a year defined by giving pride and honor to the Philippines
It's two in the afternoon. She's been awake since seven in the morning. She will be up until ten or so in the evening. Tomorrow, the story of her day will be just as eventful. The day before, it was just as hectic, probably even busier. In the days, weeks, and months that will come, she’ll be the busiest she’s ever been in her entire life. Such is the life of the newly-crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo today, after she was announced as the pageant's winner last Sunday, October 25.
If this was a drama series, we just witnessed a pivotal scene, and the events in the life of this empowered female lead are about to become more and more exciting. But at the same time, she acknowledges it won't be a walk in the park.
From an ordinary Ilongga, the 23-year-old became an extraordinary Filipina overnight—someone who isn't just wearing the name of Iloilo City on her sash but also carrying the "Filipina" pride on her head. She had just been crowned as the Philippines' representative in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. And for a humble probinsyana, having the stars align for her, on the first-ever time she stood onstage to compete on a national level, means the universe to her.
Suddenly, everyone—pageant-loving fans especially—is curious about her. Who is Rabiya Mateo, the first Miss Universe Philippines titleholder? This will be a chapter of many more firsts for her.
“I’m still in shock because, yes, I wanted to win but I didn’t expect that this is the kind of life that I’m going to have the day after the coronation,” Rabiya begins. “Everything is still quite surprising to me but I’m enjoying the moment, because as Ms. Shamcey [Supsup-Lee, Miss Universe Philippines national director] would always tell me, ‘[It’s] not everyday people would want to have a photo with you. It’s not everyday people would want to have you, to interview you.’ So, as of the moment, you need to cherish it and make some memories out of it.”
In that moment, what shone more than her wide smile, her perfectly made-up face, her fabulously styled hair, and the prominent sash draped on her body were something the eye cannot see. It’s her humility and her authenticity, the intangible qualities that make her deserving of the tangible representation of her title, the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 crown.
The challenges, hardships, and emotional struggles she’s had to deal with in the past make more sense now. They’ve been parts of her life for a reason. They’re what made her strong, confident, and resilient. She’s been through a lot until she mustered the courage to join this pageant. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live up to her name, and she’s savoring every second and every minute of it.
Finally, Rabiya isn’t just her name but also an embodiment of who she has become: a queen in every sense of the word.
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Get To Know Rabiya Mateo
Get To Know Rabiya Mateo
1. She’s a breadwinner.
Rabiya and her brother were born and raised in Iloilo City. Their mother and their grandmother were the ones who brought them up. It’s no secret that she comes from a broken family, and lived under poor conditions. Her father, an Indian national and an American citizen, left them when she was only five years old. It was tough for a growing kid to come into terms with that reality, but the reassuring presence of her mom and her lola was all she needed to grow up into the fine woman she is today. To support her family, she’d take on part-time jobs to make ends meet. “I actually worked with PLDT in Iloilo. I would give out flyers. I would do that back then just to earn some money to sustain my baon back in college,” Rabiya opens up. Despite those struggles, she holds no grudge toward her father; she has forgiven him and wishes him nothing but the best in life.
Photo Credit: Miss Universe Philippines
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2. She's now a PLDT ambassadress.
How times have changed! From working for PLDT a few years ago, she’s now working with the telecommunications company as the newest ambassadress of its PLDT Home campaign. She now joins the brand's roster of beauty queen ambassadors like Pia Wurtzbach, Rachel Peters, Ariella Arida, Maxine Medina, and Gazini Ganados. She has come full circle, and is reaping the rewards of her hard work. If you ask Rabiya, she’ll be quick to say that this achievement wouldn’t have been possible without her strong relationship and emotional bond with her family. They mean everything to her. No matter how many places this new chapter in her life will take her, their home—their nipa hut in Balasan, Iloilo that was destroyed by typhoon Yolanda—will always hold some of the most special and priceless memories of her life.
Photo Credit: Miss Universe Philippines
3. She finds joy in simple things.
For many people all over the world, the pandemic has been about finding happiness and zooming in on that, to get rid of any negativity in the picture. Going through this pandemic is tough, but it has become a little more bearable with her family and friends around and present even through virtual catch-ups and quick phone calls. Rabiya’s Miss Universe Philippines experience is extraordinarily memorable because of this global health crisis. Now that she’s thrust into the limelight, she needs her family and friends more than ever to help keep her grounded. What truly makes her happy these days? “First would be a call from my friends. Even before the competition—because it’s very difficult to stand there with all the pressure of representing Iloilo City—what I appreciate is whenever they give some time to talk to me, uplift my spirit, and at the same time give me advice and compliment me… It’s also refreshing to hear a person tell you, ‘You know what, you’re beautiful and you’re doing amazing.' So it makes me happy to surround myself with people who appreciate my identity.”
Photo Credit: Miss Universe Philippines
4. She took up Physical Therapy, following in the footsteps of her mother.
Rabiya reveals that her mom actually took up the same course. She initially wanted to take up Political Science or Mass Communications. She’s always been passionate about public speaking so the latter felt right for her. But in the end, she took her mother’s advice and took up Physical Therapy for practical reasons, and she has no regrets. This didn’t mean letting go of her first love because, in a way, she also gets to experience a slice of both worlds. Rabiya tells us, “I was still able to do what I love which is to speak in public and to teach other people. Now I’ve been teaching subjects like anatomy… so it’s about using my wisdom to enable other people.” A licensed physical therapist, she went to Manila to work as a Physical Therapy board exam lecturer and coordinator at a review center.
Photo Credit: Miss Universe Philippines
5. She’s into writing and she considers this as an outlet.
Back in high school, she was into joining declamation contests. Putting her thoughts down on paper for her declamation pieces was what ignited her love for writing. In college, this love stayed with her, flexing her creative muscles in this aspect by joining their college publication and writing about sports. “With all that we see, sometimes our thoughts get clogged up and we need a way to let it all out, and my way is through writing,” Rabiya shares.
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
6. Her advocacy is to educate people.
In Miss Universe Philippines’ Top 16 Q&A portion, the candidates were asked about how they can create a positive and lasting impact to the world around them. She started her answer with this statement: “First of all, I need to stick to my core which is being passionate about educating people.” She supports the “Feed Me and I Read You” program in Iloilo. She details, “We are helping students living near the dumpsites, what they call the Smokey Mountain of Iloilo, where most of their parents are basureros and basureras.” Some of these kids are malnourished because they couldn’t afford to eat three times a day. The advocacy believes that there’s a direct connection between nutrition and education. Rabiya continues, “So, what the project aims to do are two things: the first one is to defeat and conquer hunger and the next one is to improve the learning capability of the child.” She would participate in feeding programs for kids from grade 1 to grade 6 once a week. “This project is very close to my heart because I can see myself in the kids I am helping. It’s like you’re feeding their stomach and at the same time you’re feeding their minds and their souls with good things about life,” she muses.
Photo Credit: Miss Universe Philippines
7. She only joined school pageants prior to signing up for Miss Iloilo and Miss Universe Philippines.
Unlike other beauty queens, Rabiya hadn’t always set her eyes on pageantry. She used to join beauty pageants in school for fun. Rabiya shares, “The first time I joined, I was 2nd runner-up. The second time I joined, I thought I was going to win but I ended up 4th runner-up. Unfortunately, I felt that maybe I wasn’t beautiful enough. I told myself back then that if I can’t even win a school pageant, what more a local and national pageant?” But her mother believes that she’s destined for greatness and that she was born to be a queen. Rabiya reveals, “[My mother] was the one who pushed me to join Miss Iloilo. She was the one who got me the application form.” Now, here she is crowned as the first Miss Universe Philippines.
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
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8. Like many of us, she spends her spare time by watching series and movies on Netflix.
She prefers those that fall under the crime/murder mystery and thriller genres. She appreciated the storytelling in the Netflix documentaries about serial killers Ted Bundy (“Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”) and Jeffrey Dahmer (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”). Much more than the entertaining aspect of watching series and movies, Rabiya likes how it can also be an informative, inspiring experience. “With watching, you get to places that you’ve never been to,” Rabiya points out. She enjoys Korean and American films and those that were shot in Turkey, because seeing them makes her feel like she’s “traveling and experiencing things you don’t usually see here in the Philippines.”
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
9. Speaking of traveling, Rabiya reveals she actually hasn’t traveled abroad yet.
“I’ve never travelled outside of the country ever,” she tells Metro.Style. “It’s funny because I have a passport, but I would just use it as an ordinary ID.” This is why if she could give herself a gift this upcoming Christmas or a reward for a job well done at the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, the first thing that comes to her mind is to go for a quick escape out of the country. The first country she’d like to visit is Thailand.
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
10. Her interest in Thailand stems from her fascination with BL series.
Fun fact about the new beauty queen: she’s a fan of Boys Love series. She’s been a fan since watching Mario Maurer’s 2007 romance/drama film “Love of Siam.” Rabiya says, “I wanted to go to and experience their place because they are so accommodating with the LGBT community. I hope that in the Philippines, we do the same.”
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
11. She has a green thumb.
Another fun fact! Even before the term “plantita” reached everyone’s consciousness, she has always considered herself as one. In fact, she used to maintain a garden in their home in Iloilo. Now that she’s living in Manila, she wants to reignite this love for plants. She shares, “It’s something that I want to continue if I still have time, to plant and to become the certified plantita queen.”
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
12. The Pinay beauty queen she looks up to is Megan Young.
Aside from Mis Universe Philippines national director Shamcey Supsup-Lee, Miss World 2013 Megan Young is the beautiful Filipina she admires. Just like the multifaceted Megan, Rabiya wants to establish herself as the kind of beauty queen who is versatile. She’s a beauty queen, yes, but she feels that doesn’t and shouldn’t define who she is overall. “That’s the kind of woman that I want to become. I don’t want people to remember me just for one thing,” Rabiya says. She hopes that even after the Miss Universe pageant, people would still see her as a role model, in her constant pursuit to do more and be more.
Photo Credit: Miss Universe Philippines
13. She describes herself as a competitive person.
Interestingly, it was the board game chess that sparked this competitive spirit in her. She became so passionate about it that she even represented her school in an inter school chess competition back in high school. On what she loves about chess, she enthuses, "It’s about having a mental fortitude. You need to think of strategies. You need to think fast. You need to plan everything in order for you to win. And it’s such an amazing feeling every time you’re going to say 'checkmate.' It brings out my competitive side. People would always think na 'Okay, you’re competitive, that’s a negative trait,' but it’s not. In life, you need to be competitive because a competitive person wouldn’t settle for less, would always try to do better every single day, and that’s the person that I want to become. I want to improve, I want to grind and grasp for progress."
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
14. She says 2020 is her year.
2020 isn't exactly a good year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a year that's filled with so many bad memories. In the middle of this dark time, Rabiya chooses to focus on the bright side of things, and is grateful for having been given something to celebrate. She shares, "Despite everything, 2020 is my year. Despite the negativity being thrown at me right now, I feel like there’s so much more I need to celebrate, with all the things I’ve achieved, with the people who believe in me." For 2021, her number one wish is, of course, to win the fifth Miss Universe crown and title for the Philippines. "Coming from Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray, it’s a great pressure," she admits. "I want to use that pressure and turn it into that energy that could help me win."
Photo Credit: @rabiyamateo
Lead photo from @rabiyamateo
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