We support this queen – Manila Bulletin

Why we love Rabiya Mateo

Rabiya Occeña Sundall Mateo, Miss Universe Philippines 2020, will have a very memorable reign. Her victory is historic: not only is she the first Miss Universe Philippines held by MU as an independent organization, but she also won the title during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The half-Indian, half-Pinay victory is also fraught with controversy, thanks to the cryptic messages posted by Miss Taguig. Sandra Lemonon. Accusations of breaking the rules have surfaced, such as the Ilongga allegedly bringing their own glam gear on final night when it’s a no-no. Some tea has been spilled and it is still very early in the game.

On the other hand, poignant stories about the new queen have emerged to counter the negative publicity, giving us a glimpse into the personal life of the Iloilo native.

Still, it would be safe to say that the Filipinos will not forget Rabiya Mateo for years to come.

Here are some stories about the 24-year-old beauty queen, based on stories shared about her by people close to her.

“She is a real life Cinderella! “

College roommate Ash dumlao He says Manila Bulletin Lifestyle that Rabiya has always had aggressors and enemies. “We used to live in the same house at the university! We call ourselves sisters because we are both mestizo and our parents left us, ”she says. “It is fun, humble and full of dreams! I remember the first time I auditioned for a local model concert in Iloiolo. soooo happy to have entered! We all believed in her, although even in the past, people from those modeling groups already looked down on her (she’s not tall enough, there’s a gap between her teeth, etc.) Maybe they were already jealous of what she would be able to do if she was trained and in style. Everyone in the house loves this girl so much! And I can personally attest to the goodness of his heart. She is ours the youngest. Seriously, I slept around 3am or 4am just to study. Honestly, I don’t believe any of the bad things they say about her since I know her personally. Even our closest friends would laugh! She is a real life Cinderella. Always oppressedbut in the end, the crown is still hers! “

She is really smart. As a smart cum laude.

Rabiya graduated Cum Laude, Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy, from Iloilo Doctor’s College. Nikki Nicolas, a “beau con watcher” whose posts about Rabiya have gone viral, says: “Growing up, she had financial problems and couldn’t afford gifts for her mother. So instead I would gift him with medals, certificates, and free tuition thanks to scholarships, diplomas, and crowns! ”

She is persevering.

Rabiya has always had financial problems. But his situation became even more apparent during the competition, when he couldn’t post his own photos and manage his own social media accounts because he didn’t have a decent phone. Rabie pogoy, the owner of Shutter Models & Talent Management, posted on his personal account that Rabiya would call him, stressed out, about how she couldn’t follow his instructions to have “visibility online and on social media” because she didn’t have a decent phone to use take your OOTDs. Rabiya would post her photos and give credit to Miss Gen San MJ Easter, who became his photographer. “Napaiyak din talaga kami dun, ‘nak! (We cry about it), ”says Rabie. “You know made you stronger and determined to achieve your goal. Although difficultYou didn’t give up because a true queen doesn’t give up. A queen stands up. A queen acknowledges the challenge but is unshakable. “But just now, before this story is published, Rabie says a fan just gifted Rabiya an iPhone 12.

She has guts, or what the Ilongga call “paningkaras “.

As a struggling student who couldn’t afford the extras that came with education, Rabiya had no money to rent. The son of his old landlord, Ramon Munes, relates his experience in a post. He says: “Years ago, she stayed at our boarding house for less than a semester while studying at Iloilo Doctor’s College. He had no money to pay the rent. He slept on the floor. His roommates gave him ‘mat So I had something to sleep on My mom asked if it would be okay and she said it would be okay. With hard work, perseverance, and sheer determination, she graduated cum laude and now, [she’s] Miss Universe Philippines “.

Another friend, Carmella Leal, share in your post, “One more thing I remember from our last year at HS, we just drove our classmate’s car to apply to colleges in town. We still laugh because he doesn’t know how to use a seat belt haha (I remember in high school we were just traveling with a friend to apply to colleges. Rabiya didn’t even know how to wear a seat belt!) ”

‘She’s a real life Cinderella!’

Rabiya responded to this with a good-natured joke, “I only wore slippers everywhere Apply to universities because I do not sandals or doll shoes (she only wore slippers to go to the universities because she did not have sandals or doll shoes) ”.

Has initiative.

Screenshots of Rabiya asking certain friends for work: “rakets”—They have been posted on social media. There is one where Rabiya asks Nelly cabales, a friend, for rocket during Laboracay in 2018, so you can save for your board exam. Her friend, Kresyl Joy Scorched, says that Rabiya would just go to the nearest computer store to do her schoolwork, because she didn’t have her own laptop. Rabiya also became a speaker and review coordinator immediately prior to joining the Miss Universe pageant. From August 2018 to February 2020, she worked for the Sultan Review Group (SRG) as a full-time professor. Edmond sultan, the owner of the review center, posted: “It was not an easy process and the SRG training will really test your character, but it will surely make you stronger. Rabs never buttoned once. ”

We support this Queen.