Rabiya Mateo shares plans to become a doctor: 'I really wanna use my knowledge to help people'
From beauty queen to future doctor, Rabiya Mateo is setting her sights on a brand-new dream.
In an interview with DJ Chacha on her YouTube channel, the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 titleholder shared that she is now set to enroll in medical school to pursue her "calling" of becoming a doctor.
"I'm so happy to share this to everybody, to let you guys know that I'm gonna go back to med school. And I wanted to become a doctor ever since," Mateo said.
"I really want to understand my situation right now. And aside from that, gusto ko din makatulong overall," she added. "I really wanna use my knowledge to help people."
She acknowledged, however, that committing to this career choice is a "huge sacrifice" for her, especially since she is the breadwinner in her family.
"I'm so blessed na at least nandito na din ako sa point ng life ko na I think I was able to save enough. May mga investments na din ako, some businesses that would support my studies. At ito po talaga yung gusto ko, I've been praying for this," Mateo highlighted.
When asked if she has any hesitations about leaving showbiz, the beauty queen emphasized that her mind is already made up as she hinted at how she overcame her mental health struggles in the past.
"Feeling ko, nahanap ko din 'yung sarili ko. Hindi man perfect. Hindi siya 'yung perfect parang hero story na okay na ako agad. Hindi. Pero 'yung Rabiya, a few years ago, sa Rabiya ngayon, I'm doing so much better," she said.
"Nagkaroon talaga ng malaking improvement than how I see things, how I handle things. Dahil nagbakasyon ako at dahil nawala ako. And I would also say that fame is not everything. Hindi dahil kilala ka ng mga tao, masaya ka na. You can find happiness kung ano talaga yung purpose mo in life. That's why I'm so excited to go back to my studies," she continued.
Mateo previously revealed she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxious distress in 2025, which caused her to leave the Philippines for three months so she "won’t get triggered by people who have no idea what [she's] been going through."
"Every day was a struggle to survive," she said in a Facebook post, noting how she "almost deactivated everything and disappeared" in search of a quiet, peaceful life. "I fought hard and still fighting up until now."
Mateo won the Miss Universe Philippines title in 2020. She later competed in the international competition and finished as a Top 21 semifinalist.
She began her career in show business after signing a contract with GMA Network in November 2021, officially joining Sparkle GMA Artist Center as one of its managed artists. She made her acting debut in the Halloween special of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and later appeared in Agimat ng Agila and Royal Blood.
