Rabiya Mateo on Miss Universe Run: ‘It was such a beautiful moment to represent you, Philippines’

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo was stunning at the pageant’s coronation night last May 17th, as she represented the country. Although the 24-year-old beauty queen didn’t make it to the top 10, she still ended her run as a semi-finalist, making it to top 21. This marks the 11th consecutive year that the Philippines has made it to the semifinals of Miss Universe, which makes it still a proud achievement that Pinoys are celebrating.

Following the coronation night, Rabiya Mateo took it to social media to write about her experience, calling it “a beautiful moment” to represent the Philippines. She also took the opportunity to look back on all the sacrifices she had made and all the hard work she had put in, sharing, “In my heart, I did everything I can.” She continued on to say that “it was a challenge,” but something that made her “so much stronger every day.”

Take a look at her post here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rabiya Mateo (@rabiyamateo)

The post reads:

It was such a beautiful moment to represent you, Philippines. I am forever honored to be part of the legacy, of our history. In my heart, I did everything I can. I trained really hard to be physically fit. I would have sleepless nights trying to read articles to be updated. I made a lot of sacrifices people cant sometimes see. Early call time. Late-night rest. Trying to be sane and motivated. It was a challenge but it made me so much stronger every day.

Salamat mga kababayan! Mahal ko kayo!

I also wanna say thank you to my creative director @jonasempire.ph. I know how much you’ve sacrificed for me. I love you Mama J!

Congratulations, Rabiya! We’re proud of you!

ALSO READ: All the Miss Universe 2020 Candidates Who Wore Gowns and Costumes by Filipino Designers

What did you think of Miss Universe 2020? Did you watch it? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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Get in touch with the author of this article! Follow Nicole on Instagram at @TheStillnessinMoving.