Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo on her beauty transformation: ‘I’m beautiful then and now’

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo is calling on everybody to refrain from calling anyone ugly.

To get the message across, the Ilongga beauty queen shared what seems to be her yearbook photo that was taken 11 years ago.

“I still didn’t have my braces. I don’t know how to put make up. I’m not aware of what angle flatters me most but that is still me,” Rabiya wrote in an Instagram story.

“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,” she added.

The beauty queen took the opportunity to remind everybody that she considered herself beautiful even then.

“If there would be one thing I want people to know about me is that I’m beautiful then and now. The only difference is now, I know better,” she wrote.

“P.S. Stop calling anyone ugly. If that’s how you see things maybe then, it’s your soul that needs a surgery,” she added.

One may notice that Rabiya’s hair and teeth look different, but her photo also listed down her impressive achievements like “First Honorable Mention,” “Best in Communication,” and “Performer of the Year.”

The beauty queen from Iloilo was crowned the winner of the inaugural Miss Universe Philippines 2020 last weekend, besting more than 40 other girls vying for the title. – Margaret Claire Layug/RC, GMA News