MISS Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo uploads her yearbook photo and looks back on her teenage years in her reminiscences on Instagram. Shortly after Rabiya Mateo won the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 title, netizens began digging more about the background of the newly crowned beauty queen.
Among their finds was the high school yearbook that the Ilongga beauty herself posted on Instagram, which gave her fans a glimpse of what she was like during her teenage years. Rabiya finished her high school studies at the Saint Candida School-Hijas De Jesus Inc. in Estancia, Iloilo.
According to her yearbook page, Rabiya was called "Byang" or "Rab" by her friends. The page writeup reveals more about the would-be beauty queen. It read: "A girl with a glamorous smile. Every boy is mesmerized by her sophisticated looks. The darling of Year IV-Saint Agnes. That shimmering tan skin catches everyone’s attention especially the boys. She has a towering height. When she starts speaking, you should be ready your handkerchiefs for your nose might bleed. She is a very sensitive person so be careful with the words you choose. She is sweet like sugar. That’s what makes Rabiya “Byang”: Brilliant, Youth, Admirable, narcissist and Gorgeous (sic)."
Rabiya's achievements were also listed down on the page, including first honorable mention, best in communication and performer of the year. But some pageant fans were not convinced. This compelled Rabiya to defend herself against detractors.
The 24-year-old beauty queen wrote on her Instagram Stories on Friday, October 30, 2020 (published as is): "This is me 11 years ago. I still didn't have my braces. I don't how to put on makeup. I'm not aware of what angle flatters me most but that is still me. A lot of things happened in that period of time. I grew up and became more mature. I was able to invest in myself and practice self-love. If there would be one thing that I want other people to know about me is that I'm beautiful then and now. The only thing different is now, I know better."
Rabiya ended her post with a reminder to her followers to always be kind. She said, "P.S. stop calling anyone ugly. If that's how you see things and maybe then, it's your soul that needs surgery."
In her preliminary interviews during the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 pageant, Rabiya has always been candid about her humble beginnings. She opened up having an Ilongga mom and an Indian dad and being raised in a broken and poor family. Instead of growing up bitter, Rabiya said she focused on finishing her studies. She said in the final interview, "I was raised in a broken family and I experienced a really poor life. And I was able to rise from our situation as well because of educating myself. And now, I decided to give back to my community and I became a lecturer for physical therapy."
Rabiya graduated cum laude in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from the Iloilo Doctors' College. In the same year, she passed the board exam and decided to become a lecturer.
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Zia Dantes is back with another costume! For her Halloween party in school, she transforms into "Princess JAsZime."
Every Halloween, the four-year-old daughter of Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes is always ready to delight the netizens in her double tap-worthy dresses. Her school is celebrating Halloween ahead of the weekend and, as expected, Zia goes all-out with her get-up.
The Instagram-famous kid dresses in the popular belly-showing two-piece garb of the princess from the 1992 Disney animation classic, Aladdin. Zia even has her hair done the same way as Jasmine's. Zia loves to wear costumes. Barely a year old, Zia dressed up as Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Snow White from Disney's Snow White and Seven Dwarves. For this year, Zia becomes "Princess JasZmine."
In 2017, the Dantes Squad dressed up as Batman characters. Dingdong was Batman, Marian was Catwoman, and Zia was Bat Girl.
When she began pre-school in 2018, Zia started to wear Halloween costumes for her class too.
At her first Halloween party in school, Zia became a "Miss Intergalactic Space Princess." The costume was made from recycled materials.
For the family Halloween costume, the Dantes Squad stayed within the Batman universe and transformed themselves as to its villains. Dingdong was the Riddler, Marian was Poison Ivy, and Zia was the Joker. In 2019, the Dantes squad didn't do a family costume for Halloween. But Zia did go all-out for her Halloween party in school. The costume was made from scratch, too.