By Alex P. Vidal
“Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.”
—Tryon Edwards
NOW that the Miss Universe Organization has set the 69th competition of the 2021 Miss Universe in the United States on May 16, will Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Occeña Mateo finally meet her long-lost biological father who is now reportedly residing in Illinois, USA?
Syed Mohammed Abdullah Moqueet Hashmi, an Indian national, reportedly vanished after Mateo’s mother gave birth to her and brother, Mokmok, in Balasan, Iloilo.
Mateo was quoted in the Philippine press as saying the following in November 2020: “I think it was his plan to abandon us, ‘cause what happened was when he went back to the US, his two brothers are still here studying.”
“And then all of a sudden, all of the connection was cut. And my mother went to the school to talk to his two brothers, but unfortunately they also left for the US.”
“As of the moment, I still have no contact or any trace, where is he right now. The last time I heard, he’s in Chicago and he’s practicing as a doctor.”
Mateo had said her mother never said anything bad about her father.
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Florida is 16 hours and 49 minutes away from Illinois by car, or two hours and 27 minutes away by plane.
Mateo, born on November 14, 1996, is the Philippines’ official representative vying for the country’s fifth Miss Universe crown when
the Miss Universe competition returns with a live telecast after a year and a half off the air on May 16 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, Florida.
The competition will be held in the span of seven days and organizers vowed that all safety precautions for Covid-19 will be followed like Miss USA 2020 and Miss Teen USA 2020 competition.
Hollywood is a city on Florida’s east coast, between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Palm-dotted Hollywood Beach is backed by the long Hollywood Beach Broadwalk. ArtsPark at Young Circle features an outdoor amphitheater and a striking fountain. Nearby, the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood offers contemporary exhibitions and performances.
The last Miss Universe pageant held in December 2019 was won by Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa, who has worn the crown longer than anyone else due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
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Miss Universe Organization president Paula M. Shugart announced in a press release March 3 that they’ve spent months planning a safe competition but they will follow similar guidelines as November’s 2020 Miss USA competition held in Memphis.
The Miss Universe competition will air in more than 160 territories and countries across the globe. In the U.S. it will reportedly air in Spanish on Telemundo and the English-language broadcasters will soon be announced.
Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi from South Africa, who has been performing her crown duties with utmost sincerity and honest even in tough times like pandemic will be crowning her successor at the end of the event finale.
The representatives of respective countries have reportedly expressed their sheer excitement towards the date that has been revealed for the pageant and have started to prepare for their final night.
The organization posted a video on their YouTube channel where the divas could be seen showcasing their confident and graceful walk from their homes.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)
