Netizens share snippets of Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo’s backstory

• Friends of Rabiya Mateo congratulated her on winning the Miss Universe 2020 crown.
• They shared the beauty queen’s hard work and said that she really deserves the title.

All eyes are on newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo as she took home the crown and is now tasked to represent the country in the upcoming Miss Universe 2020 competition.

Despite all the accusations and doubts behind this year’s results, friends and colleagues of Rabiya have nothing but good words to say about her.

A Facebook user named Ramon Munez shared how the beauty queen really started from the bottom and narrated the time when she had no money to even pay rent.

“Years ago, she stayed at our boarding house for less than a semester while she was studying at the Iloilo Doctor’s College. She did not have money to pay for rent,” Ramon wrote.

Rabiya was okay with sleeping on the floor and even though Ramon’s mom asked her if she was okay, she just kept reassuring them that it’s fine. Now that she survived that difficult part of her life, she has graduated cum laude and is now the representative of the Philippines in the prestigious international pageant.

“Through hard work, perseverance, and sheer grit, she graduated cum laude and now, the 2020 Miss Universe Philippines. Congratulations Rabiya Mateo! We’re proud of you!”

Another netizen named Nelly Cabales also shared the time when Rabiya asked her if she knows any freelance job because she needed to save up for her board exam.

“You really deserve this success you achieved. Yung sipag at tiyaga mo sa buhay nag bunga na. Just continue pursuing your dreams and ignore the negativity of other people!”

Rabiya was crowned by Gazini Ganados, who placed in the Top 20 of the Miss Universe pageant last year.