The 2021 Miss Universe pageant is on its way! With the competition heating up and all eyes are on the Philippine representative Rabiya Mateo, we’ve gathered some quick facts about the Iloilo-born beauty queen. Listen up and prepare your notes!
She is of Indian/Filipino descent
Rabiya was born on November 14, 1996 from an Indian-American father and a Filipino mother. The couple soon separated, and Rabiya was left to the care of her mother.
In an Instagram post, the queen shared an open letter to her estranged father, saying “I became a strong independent woman today because of the situation that happened in the past but I never blamed you for it.”
She’s a certified Scorpio
Since she’s born in the early weeks of November, Rabiya has her sun sign under Scorpio! Scorpios are tough cookies, as they’re considered very passionate and don’t crack under the pressure. We’ll for sure see more of this during her Miss Universe run this May!
Before Miss Universe, Rabiya was a healthcare worker and educator
Before joining the pageant scene, Rabiya passed the physical therapist licensure. She also graduated cum laude at the Iloilo Doctors’ College and passed the board exam in August of 2018.
She then went on to work as a reviewer to help who planned to take the same board exam. Talk about beauty and brains!
Her signature walk is called the Hara Bira
From Lava to Hara Bira! Though we’ve yet to see the full potential of her walk on the Miss Universe stage, Rabiya has posted snippets to tease her Filipino supporters. “Hala Bira” comes from the Iloilo festival song of the same name.
Her trip to America for Miss Universe was her first international flight
There’s a first time for everything! Since she reportedly grew up in poverty, Rabiya only experienced her first international flight earlier this year at the age of 24. We’re sure there will be more miles to go for our queen!
All photos from Rabiya Mateo’s Instagram
