MANILA – Rabiya Occeña Mateo of Iloilo City was named the winner of the inaugural Miss Universe Philippines pageant on Sunday at the Baguio Country Club.
Mateo, 23, bested 45 other candidates representing cities and provinces nationwide.
The Balasan, Iloilo native was the first Ilongga to be selected to represent the country in Miss Universe after Jaro, Iloilo native Louise Aurelio Vail, who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas in 1965. Vail was among the 15 semifinalists during that year’s Miss Universe in Miami, Florida, USA.
At 5 feet and 6 inches tall, Mateo will try to become the fifth Filipina to capture the Miss Universe crown after Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).
A cum laude graduate from Iloilo Doctors’ College, Mateo is also the reigning Miss Iloilo Universe 2020 and an advocate of education.
Weeks into the competition, the Filipina-Indian beauty queen was already tipped as a strong contender for the tiara.
During the question and answer portion of the competition, Mateo was asked whose image of any Filipino she would put on a new paper currency if given the chance to create one.
“If I were given the chance, I want to use the face of Miriam Defensor-Santiago. For those who don’t know, she was an Ilongga. But what I admired about her is that she used her knowledge, her voice to serve the country. I want to be somebody like her – somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action. After all, she is the best President that we never had,” she said.
For her second question, Mateo shared where she thinks beauty pageants stand during this time of crisis.
“As a candidate, I know I am not just a face of Iloilo City but I am here carrying hope and as a symbol of light in the darkest of times. 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,” she said.
Ysabella Ysmael of Parañaque City was first runner-up; volleyball player Michele Gumabao of Quezon City was second runner-up; Bohol’s Pauline Amelinckx was third runner-up;, and Cavite’s Billie Hakenson was fourth runner-up.
Prior to her coronation, Mateo also won best in swimsuit during the preliminaries held Friday night in the same venue.
Mateo may not have won Best in Costume but on Instagram she proudly posted a photo of herself portraying Maniwantiwan, the wife of Marikudo, chief of the Aeta tribe of Panay Island, and thanked her team.
This was the first time that a separate Miss Universe Philippines pageant was held.
Shamcey Supsup, a former Bb. Pilipinas Universe titleholder and Miss Universe candidate, leads the new Miss Universe Philippines organization as national director.
In the last 55 years, Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. had been sending candidates to various international pageants including Miss Universe, Miss International, and at one point, Miss World./PN
