Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo is back in PH after two months in the US post-pageant
After being away for over two months, Queen Rabiya Mateo is finally back home—still beautiful and already vaccinated.
In an impromptu Instagram Live early morning of Thursday, July 1, Rabiya let her followers know that she is back in the Philippines and is currently completing her mandatory 10-day quarantine in a hotel in Makati City.
Rabiya said she was just trying on the Instagram filters when she accidentally pressed the “Live” button. So she decided to proceed with it instead as over 5,000 followers were already watching.
She did a quick catch-up with her fans—telling them she was able to sleep for more than half of her 14-hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Manila, answering a question on whether she met up with basketball player Kobe Paras who is currently training in the US. Her answer was “no.” (Rabiya once admitted in an interview that she has a crush on the cager).
Addressing her Ilonggo fans, Rabiya shared that she and her team are already in talks with the local government unit of Iloilo City for her homecoming.
Rabiya also said she was vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson four days after arriving in the US for the Miss Universe pageant.
After her Top 21 finish at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant, held in Hollywood, Florida, Rabiya said she was excited to explore the US and have a great time. So she did. (Some pageant watchers said Rabiya may not have won the pageant but she is still a winner as she secured a “highly coveted US visa.”)
She was able to visit 14 different cities including Los Angeles and San Jose, California; New York City; Seattle, Washington; and Houston, Texas.
It looked like Rabiya had a lot of fun exploring the US, meeting with Filipino communities and checking out some hot spots with Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa. Rabiya said in one of her Instagram posts, “Living in the present, enjoying life at its fullest.” (While she was in the US, Rabiya and her boyfriend Neil Salvacion, who is in the Philippines, called it quits.)
In her Instagram Live, she shared that she would always get carded whenever she and her companions would go to bars as she looks like she is not yet of legal drinking age.
Now that Queen Rabiya is back, let’s take a look at some of the highlights of her US trip post-Miss Universe 2020 pageant.
On Filipino communities
Rabiya met with the Filipino communities in Houston, Texas and in Fremont, California where she did an impromptu singing performance for her Filipino supporters.
Before leaving Hollywood, Florida, Rabiya was also given a farewell lunch by the Filipino community there.
Watched a Lakers Game at the Staples Center
“Goal unlocked!” wrote Rabiya on Instagram, in a post with MJ Lastimosa at the Staples Center.
Rabiya and MJ rolled in style as they watched a live game of the LA Lakers (dressed in Lakers jersies) at the Staples Center’s Premier Lounges!
Rabiya also served as MJ’s photographer, like how the Miss Universe 2012 first-runner up did, which drew laughs from beauty pageant fans.
Forged sisterhood with MJ Lastimosa
In some of Rabiya’s photos and Instagram Stories when she was in the US, her fellow beauty queen MJ was there—helping her get ready for an event, styling her outfits for the day, and just simply having a good time.
They went on a hike in San Francisco and had fun at Universal Studios Hollywood with Rabiya’s team.
Walked the streets of New York in a modern Filipiniana
In a Boogie Musni-Rivera creation, Rabiya made the streets of New York her runway, with her “Hala bira” walk, of course.
In a clip she posted on Instagram, she is seen strutting on the street, and it cuts to her walking fierce inside the Philippine Center New York.
Almost a fashion boo-boo in Seattle
Seattle was one of Rabiya’s destinations in her US trip. Though she did not say much on how her trip there went, she shared a funny story on Instagram that is very much relatable, which endeared her to her fans more.
“When I arrived here in Seattle yesterday, the weather was so cold and I was freezing. I woke up 6 a.m. earlier thinking it’s gonna be the same. I was so excited to mix and match my outfit and was looking forward to use this above-the-knee boots for the first time,” she wrote.
In the photo, Rabiya is wearing a leather jacket over a white top and camel pants, together with the boots she described. “To my surprise, it was scorching hot outside around 96 degrees Fahrenheit (about 35 degrees Celsius).”
Despite her predicament, she carried herself well and even teased her followers with a clip of her doing another round of “Hala bira” walk in the lobby of her hotel.
Banner and thumbnail images from @themissuniverseph and @rabiyamateo on Instagram