RABIYA O. MATEO: The Princess is now the Queen

Rabiya O. Mateo’s first name means princess. But on Sunday, she became a queen after winning the coveted Miss Universe Philippines 2020 crown.

The 23-year-old Ilongga beauty bested over 40 ladies for the right to represent the country to the prestigious Miss Universe pageant, succeeding Gazini Ganados of Cebu.

Her victory in Baguio City could not have been more poignant amid the COVID-19 pandemic which halted the world to a grind. Still, the community quarantine which forced us apart did not prevent Ilonggos from coming together to cheer Rabiya.

From the get-go, Rabiya proved that she was ready to wear the crown and fulfill the equally taxing responsibilities that come with the title.

In her preliminary interviews, she urged the younger generation to “invest in themselves,” particularly through education.

In her introduction video for Ring Light series by empire.ph, Rabiya described how she overcame poverty and the fact that her father abandoned her and her mother.

“My graduation day was the greatest payback as I formally received my latin honors. I want every poor child to experience such a thing. With proper knowledge of the things around you, of your purpose in life, and of what you are fighting for, you are going beyond being educated. You become empowered and able to empower others,” she said in her intro video.

Even after earning her degree in physical therapy from Iloilo Doctors’ College, she continued her “Feed Me And I Read You” advocacy program which helps educate children who live near the Calajunan dumpsite in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

In the preliminary interviews, Rabiya said winning the crown will bring more attention and health to her charity project.

“We need a lot of learning materials. Being the Miss Universe, I can pull donors into the project,” she said.

The pandemic also made her realize that every person can be a symbol of hope amid the struggle against COVID-19. She even helped cook food for Iloilo City’s frontliners at the height of the community lockdown.

“I had fears, uncertainty, but I realized that I can still give back to Iloilo City,” she said.

Despite the adversities in her life, Rabiya’s inner beauty is what makes her shine, especially the high value she gives to forgiveness which her mother exemplified.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect person. When my dad left us, she never spoke ill about him. That’s why in every situation, even though other people would hurt me, I still choose to see the goodness in them,” she explained.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Rabiya mentioned that she hasn’t seen her father in years but cherishes the baby photo of her with her dad.

Rabiya cemented her standing as frontrunner in the pageant after she won Best in Swimsuit during the preliminaries and final competition.

It also helped that she was represented by the famous beauty queen boot camp Aces and Queens, the same team who helped Pia Wurtzbach and Venus Raj through their Miss Universe journeys.

Rabiya said she looks up to Miss Universe Philippines 2011 Shamcey Supsup who helmed this year’s pageant.

She said that she was in high school when Shamcey won and she admired the current Miss Universe Philippines pageant director for her wit. Her beauty was also compared to Shamcey who was hailed as Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up.

Rabiya also exuded strength in the final question and answer portion when she chose the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a feisty Ilongga politician, as the image she wants to use in a new paper currency.

“I want to use the face of Miriam Defensor-Santiago. She used her knowledge, her voice to serve the country. And I want to be somebody like her. Somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action. And after all, she is the best president we never had,” she explained.

When asked about the role of pageants amid the pandemic, Rabiya said she wants to bring hope to everyone.

“As a candidate, I know I’m not just the face of Iloilo City, but I am here carrying hope, and as a symbol of light in the darkest times. And as of the moment, I want to help my community. I want to use my strength to make an impact. And that is the essence of beauty pageants. It gives us the power to make a difference.”

Spoken like a true queen.