Rabiya Mateo says she will not give up on her estranged father: 'No bitterness in my heart'

Rabiya Mateo has opened up about her estranged father, who left their family long ago.

In an interview on "Updated with Nelson Canlas," the beauty queen said she holds no anger or ill will towards him.

“Mahal ko talaga yung daddy ko. I really love him,” she said, adding that she never knew her Indian-American dad and only saw pictures from when she was a baby.

“Overall, wala akong bitterness sa heart ko towards him kasi I know kahit masakit iniwan niya kami, may rason siya. At actually, hindi ko na nga kailangan marinig yung rason na 'yon. Ang gusto ko lang malaman okay siya, safe siya, at kung kailangan niya ko bilang anak, I'm gonna be there to serve him.”

The “TicktoClock” host added, “Ganun ako as a person eh. Ako 'yung tao na hindi ako nagtatanim ng galit kahit kanino despite of everything. I have a heart to forgive and to forget.”

Rabiya also said that even her mom has never closed her doors on meeting her dad again.

“Despite iniwan ako tsaka yung kapatid ko, my mom never said anything bad about my dad," she said. "Wala talaga. So parang ganun din ako kasi minsan 'yung mama ko sinasabi niya na ‘o baka magkita pa kami ng daddy niyo.’”

Because of her continued love for him, one of Rabiya’s goals is to save money and look for her father.

Nobody had ever reached out with info about her dad, but Rabiya revealed that she found out some details like his name, birthday, American citizenship, and his profession as a doctor. She learned that 19 years ago, her dad was in Chicago.

“I know he's not getting any younger and ayokong magkaroon ng regrets sa buhay ko na I didn't try," she said.

“My dad is always a part of me. Kahit hindi ako lumaki na kasama siya, he's always been a source of inspiration. Na gagalingan ko, na pagbubutihan ko para pag nakita niya ko sasabihin niya na, 'yang anak ko kahit pinabayaan ko 'yan she turned out to do well sa buhay," she added.

The Miss Universe Philippines 2020 winner and rising Kapuso star truly believes that she will reunite with her father one day.

“In my heart, alam ko na magkikita kami ng dad ko, someday, somehow. I know, I know in my heart. And 'pag nangyari yun, wala talagang bitterness in my heart, like yayakapin ko lang talaga siya and mamahalin ko 'yung tatay ko ng buong-buo.”

Rabiya then gave a message to her father.

“Siguro if somebody knows Syed Mohammed Abdul Moquet Irfan Hashmi from Chicago, you have a daughter here in the Philippines. My name is Rabiya, you named me. I hope that you are okay, I hope that you are doing very well. And if you need somebody, Daddy, if you need me, I'm just here. I'm waiting for you,” she said.

Listen to Rabiya Mateo’s full episode on “Updated with Nelson Canlas” on Spotify. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA News