Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo is in the United States preparing for the 69th edition of Miss Universe which is scheduled to be held on 16th May 2021 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Rabiya is aiming for the Philippines' fifth Miss Universe crown after Catriona Gray won Miss Universe in 2018.
Recently, Rabiya Mateo took to her social media to share her ‘simplest real form’ and took a break from her glamorous pictures. The Filipina queen who has already managed to impress everyone with her stunning looks, confidence, and strong personality, shared a no-makeup video on her social media along with sharing some of the hard-hitting reality facts of working in the industry that is constantly evolving and is always under scrutiny.
Miss Universe Philippines 2020 shared, “I live in a cruel industry. I’m always compared to different girls. People have always something to say like, ‘You’re not beautiful enough. You’re so thin. I don’t like what you wear.’ But then life is never superficial. It’s not always what’s attractive to our eyes but it’s the love we choose to build, the connection we make to people, and how we want to celebrate ourselves!”
The powerful queen mentioned, “this is the real me. No makeup. No heavy hair extensions. Nothing fancy to wear. Just me. Even in my simplest form, I know in my heart I am nothing less than phenomenal.” The queen was applauded for sharing the hard-hitting reality of working in a beauty pageant industry where divas are in the constant spotlight and are pointed out or called out for even the slightest mishap.
Rabiya’s step towards embracing her real self was appreciated not only by her fans but also by her pageant sisters as Miss Grand Philippines 2020 Samantha Bernardo commented, “You are your Queen! Go get that crown for all of us. We believe in you and you don't need to prove anything,” Miss Universe India 2020 Adline Castelino commented, “Maganda. they must surely be crazy to say that to you! Natural beauty,” Miss Universe Canada 2020 Nova Stevens commented, “I couldn’t agree more, Queen! The best kind of beauty is the one given to you by God and shines from within.”
Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo is preparing in the United States for the final competition and is one of the favorites for the title. She has been applauded for her confidence, honesty, and the way she manages to speak what goes on her mind. Within a few weeks of her crowning as Miss Universe Philippines 2020, Rabiya managed to impress everyone with her strong personality and her vision with which she moves forward. She is an advocate for education and wants to use the platform to champion others.
The Filipina queen believes, “we do not need a beauty queen with a pretty face but we need a phenomenal woman who is not afraid to speak out and to stand for the things they believe in.” In a recent interview, she mentioned that she wants to be remembered as not only the face of Miss Universe Philippines but also a phenomenal woman who did something for her country. She shared that she feels that she is 95% ready but there is still a lot to learn and work on as she aspires to progress every single day.