Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo says 'I live in a cruel industry'

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo said "I live in a cruel industry" in the caption of the latest video she posted on her official social media page where she appears without makeup.

The 24-year-old beauty shared how she is always being compared to different girls and people have always something to say like “you’re not beautiful enough, you’re so thin, I don’t like what you wear.”

"But then life is never superficial. It’s not always what’s attractive to our eyes but it’s the love we choose to build, the connection we make to people, and how we want to celebrate ourselves," she said.

"This is the real me. No makeup. No heavy hair extensions. Nothing fancy to wear. Just me," she added.

"Even in my simplest form, I know in my heart I am nothing less than phenomenal."

With the Filipinos being one the biggest pageant fans in the world, Rabiya carries the pressure to win her country's 5th Miss Universe title in the highly anticipated 69th edition of the international competition in Florida this May.

Photo: Mark Caceres Photography

Popular posts from this blog

SPOTLIGHT: Miss Universe Malaysia 2020 Francisca Luhong James

Image
A 25-year-old part-time model and former public relations and marketing executive, Francisca Luhong James, will represent Malaysia at the 69th Miss Universe pageant in Hollywood, Florida this May. The Kayan-Kenyah-Iban native from Kuching, Sarawak, is the first woman with full native heritage to win the Miss Universe Malaysia title. She holds a first-class honors degree in mass communications and majored in public relations. Beauty-and-brain Francisca used to be a track-and-field athlete who despite having asthma was awarded three medals and she would like to inspire more native women to pursue their dreams. Besides advocating for women's empowerment, she also started a foundation Beyond Aid to raise money for refugees and underprivileged children. In a recent interview with a Malaysian morning TV show, she was asked "Why should you be the next Miss Universe?" and she genuinely replied: "I should be the next Miss Universe because I am not just representing myself and
Read more

FAVORITES: 69th Miss Universe Top 10 pre-arrival favorites

Image
The highly anticipated 69th Miss Universe pageant is about to kick off as over 70 delegates will start arriving at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, the USA this week. There are so many deserving delegates and it's quite difficult to narrow down the choices until they have all arrived in the competition and then you can have a clearer view of who truly stands out. Here are the 10 delegates who scored the highest on our list of pre-arrival favorites to win the 69th Miss Universe competition (in random order): MEXICO - Andrea Meza ROMANIA - Bianca Tirsin PHILIPPINES - Rabiya Mateo PERU - Janick Maceta NEPAL - Anshika Sharma AUSTRALIA - Maria Thattil THAILAND - Amanda Obdam JAMAICA - Miqueal-Symone Williams PUERTO RICO - Estefanía Soto VIETNAM - Nguyen Tran Khanh Van Close shots: Brazil, Canada, India, France, Argentina Photos: Miss Universe Organization
Read more

Puerto Rico's Estefanía Soto Torres to wear a Walter Mercado-inspired national costume at the 69th Miss Universe

Image
Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020 Estefanía Soto Torres will be wearing a stunning Walter Mercado-inspired national costume at the 69th Miss Universe pageant. In honor of the Puerto Rican astrologer's life trajectory and unifying message of love and acceptance, Joshuan Aponte created the costume with 86,400 pieces of Austrian crystals. The beautiful headpiece is made of gold jewelry and precious stones that denote the 12 zodiacal signs and the stars in the sky. It is designed and composed of 78 separate pieces, one for each town of Puerto Rico, and includes six last quarter moons that embody the search for the country's 6th Miss Universe crown. "Walter Mercado inspired us to live embracing our identity and valuing our differences. The unifying force behind his message of universal positivism gives us the extraordinary power of progress in the face of the challenges we face as humanity," Estefanía shared on social media. "With this national costume, we celebrate Wa
Read more

Ukraine's Yelyzaveta Yastremska unveils 'Vytynаnka Soul' costume for the 69th Miss Universe pageant

Image
Miss Universe Ukraine 2020 Yelyzaveta Yastremska will be showcasing the "Vytynаnka Soul" national costume at the 69th Miss Universe pageant in Hollywood, Florida this May. Designed by Rada, the costume was inspired by Vytynаnka, a version of the art form of papercutting that is popular in Ukraine. It comes from the word "cut" in Ukrainian. Vytynankas are used to decorate the walls, windows, shelves, and tables. The ones that were made of fabric and leather are used to decorate clothes. "Life sometimes leaves holes in people's souls, but God makes them a beautiful harmonious picture that reflects the inner beauty of a human," Yelyzaveta said on her official social media page. "The white color of the costume symbolizes life, peace, happiness, and the pureness of a human's soul. Mirror brilliance reflects the inner world of a human. Our soul has wings, we are born to fly," she added. Photos: Olesya Iskova
Read more

SPOTLIGHT: Myanmar's Thuzar Wint Lwin heads to US for the 69th Miss Universe competition

Image
Miss Universe Myanmar 2020 Thuzar Wint Lwin has safely left for the US amid the current political conflict in her country to compete in the 69th Miss Universe pageant. There were concerns regarding her departure for the international competition because she has been openly using her platform to support her countrymen's fight for democracy. "A Miss Universe is a woman who paves her own way and achieves her dreams, overcoming the obstacles that await along the journey. So here I come," Thuzar shared on her official social media page. Hailing from Hakha, the 22-year-old works as a professional model and beauty blogger. She holds a diploma in tourism and hospitality management from Star University and currently an English student at the University of East Yangon. The 69th Miss Universe competition will air live from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on Sunday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET. Photos: Aung Kyaw Tun (Visual Design) / Designer: Kyaw Swar (Desig
Read more