By Joseph B.A. Marzan
“In one sentence, I will be the next Miss Universe!”
The Philippines’ Ilongga bet to the Miss Universe 2020 wholeheartedly declared that she will push to claim the country’s fifth crown in the prestigious international pageant.
Rabiya Mateo held her short homecoming stint in the city from Nov 13 to 15, 2020 after winning the title on Oct. 25.
During a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at the Festive Mall on Saturday, Mateo expressed her gratitude for the support given by Ilonggos.
“Words are not enough to thank those Ilonggos who really supported me and loved me in this journey, and madamo gid nga salamat sa tanan-tanan nga pagpalangga nga ginhatag niyo sa akon, sa pagkadto niyo di. Hambal ko gani no, kanami gid sa feeling nga after 55 years, napuli ta liwat ang Miss Universe Philippines nga crown sa ciudad sang paghigugma. Tani gid kun i-bless ta ni God, I hope nga ma-bring ko liwat sa bansa ta ang ika-lima nga korona,” Mateo said.
She said she has all she wanted this year, but she still asked for good health so she can fulfill her duties to the city and country.
“I have achieved everything that I wanted for this year. But the only that thing I am asking from God right now is for good health, because as of the moment, I want to do so much more for Iloilo, I want to do so much more for our country, and I will be able to do that if I have a stable mental and physical health so that would be my only prayer as of today,” she said.
She also expressed awe at the changes she experienced after leaving Iloilo City and preparing for the national pageant in Baguio City.
She added that she constantly reminded herself to stay humble after winning the crown.
“I remember I would walk in the halls of Festive Mall and no one would even recognize me. And now, as you can see, a lot of people just came here, just to see me, and it really warms my heart. But at the same time, I need to stay on the ground, because with a humble heart, I would be able to push myself for greater limits. I would still talk with my old friends to be reminded of who I am before the fame, before the recognition and it’s all about going back to my roots and sticking to my core values,” she added.
Mateo said that Ilonggos’ mindset and personality are what makes them “guapa”, a reference to her preliminary interview.
“[I]t’s our personality and our mindset. When I was in the national competition, I realized that there’s so much that I need to learn to grow as a person and as a candidate of the City of Love, but I was never a negative thinker. I would always see myself as somebody who can actually win the crown, and maybe that makes us beautiful because we have the strong personality with the right kind of mindset, and I was able to rise above the rest,” said Mateo.
She also revealed her intention to use Iloilo City’s annual Dinagyang Festival as the inspiration for her national costume.
She added that she asked Miss Universe Philippines organization if she could bring Ilonggo fashion designer Tata Blas Penuela to the international pageant.
“I’ve actually talked to the pillar of Miss Universe Philippines Organization, Mr. Albert Andrada, and I’m planning to bring Iloilo with me in the international stage, so I wanted to wear Dinagyang for my national costume. Nothing is final yet, but I told them also that I wanted to bring along Tata Blas Penuela,” she said.
Mateo turned the attention to her 24th birthday celebration by calling on Ilonggos to donate to survivors of Typhoon Ulysses, which ravaged Cagayan, Isabela, and parts of Metro Manila last week.
A source told Daily Guardian that Mateo will be travelling to Cagayan upon her return to Manila.
“We are called the City of Love for a reason, and in this moment we need to show that love to the rest of our nation, especially to our brothers and sisters who need our help the most. If you are privileged enough that you still have a roof on top of your heads, if you have food to eat, some of our brothers and sisters in Cagayan and some areas in Metro Manila are really suffering, so we need to extend our hand and help them,” she told the audience.
Mateo is only the second Ilongga to represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant after Louise Aurelio Vail won Binibining Pilipinas-Universe in 1965.
