ILOILO City – llonggos are rejoicing over the victory of Rabiya Mateo in the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 pageant in Baguio City.
With her morena looks and winning combo of answers in the final question and answer portion, the 23-year-old Filipina-Indian stood out among 46 contenders.
“The Ilonggo community is truly proud of her achievement. She is an epitome that Iloilo City can truly level-up and rise above challenges during these times,” Mayor Jerry Treñas said in a statement.
Mateo “is indeed a phenomenal woman with (a) heartfelt beauty,” the mayor added.
Shortly after Panay News Digital broke the news on Sunday morning, Ilonggo netizens were quick to react about the feat, most of them proud of the newly crowned beauty queen.
Panay News’ article of the victory garnered thousands of engagements and has been shared hundred times as of Monday night.
“Congrats, you deserve the crown. Proud Ilongga here,” said netizen Janice Batuta.
Another netizen, Mizpah Arellano, commented “I’m so proud of her! Beauty and brains! Love the personality, too! Ang fierce pero mahinhin pa din! Love her!”
Born to an Ilongga mother and an Indian father, Mateo is a licensed physical therapist who graduated cum laude at the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital.
Her answer to the first question on whose Filipino image to use if she creates a new paper currency also made waves after paying homage to the late Ilongga senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
“What I admired about her is that she used her knowledge, her voice to serve the country. And I want to be somebody like her, somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action. And after all, she is the best president that we never had,” Mateo said.
She earned the right to represent this highly urbanized city to the prestigious national pageant after winning the title Miss Iloilo-Universe in this year’s Dinagyang Festival.
Her winning the Miss Universe Philippines title qualified her to represent the Philippines to the Miss Universe beauty pageant.
The first Ilongga to compete in the Miss Universe was Louise Aurelio Vail from this city’s Jaro district, said Ilonggo historian Nereo Lujan, also the chief of the Public Information and Community Affairs Office of the provincial government.
Lujan said Vail was crowned Binibining Pilipinas in 1965 and represented the country to the Miss Universe pageant in the same year in Miami, Florida, and emerged as one of the 15 semifinalists./PN
