#missphilippines

I want to be Miss Philippines Earth 2022 because my passion truly lies behind our Earth and its wonderful people. There is no planet B and although the task of combating all of the harmful actions happening to our home may appear too big to conquer, I wish to be a pillar of hope and most importantly a strong leader for our future generations who are worried about the current state of our beloved Earth and Environment. Proving that through the power of education and our voice, we are able to create a positive change for the sake of a brighter future. I wish to not just advocate for change, but to be a part of that change. Whether it be just in my local communities or on a more global and international scale. I want to be the next Miss Philippines Earth 2022 because I want to continue spreading my message, sharing my passion, helping educate others and most of all saving our planet.

My name is Jasmine Paguio and I am proud to represent the Filipino-Community of Toronto Canada at this years Miss Philippines Earth 2022.

Had my eyes on this crown ever since I was 19 and was still living in Canada. But being a young, confused and unsure teenager, Im glad I decided I was going to finish my undergrad first before competing in my first major pageant.

But this dream still continues and just came true today as I was recently announced as an official candidate!!!

Please support me in fulfilling my dreams of yelling “PHILIPPINES!!!” at the top of my lungs on an international stage while also continuing to share my passion and determination for our Earth and my advocacy of environmental education using the amazing @missphilearth platform!!

So excited for this journey to begin!

With the upcoming Miss World Philippines beauty contest, questions get thrown around the house recently such as 

Why is it that skinny women only get to enter the pageant?

If we’re after the representation of Filipina beauty, why do the chosen participants’ noses appear western-like: matangos at hindi pango? 

If this pageant show showcases equality amongst women, why do we even judge them based on their physical appearances? 

Why should they look a certain way to even enter such a competition that poses a negative connotation in and by itself? 

It reminds me of an unfinished piece I wrote exactly a month before:

Miss Universe 2020 1st Runner-up Julia Gama of Brazil was asked, “Women are still considered incapable of becoming world leaders. Convince these countries that they are wrong,” to which, she answered,

“Women are such an important part of this society, and just because we are not encouraged in the same way that men are, we have our potential wasted. The world needs women’s contributions, because we came for some reason, and I invite every woman to understand that we are leaders of our lives. And yes, we can do a lot for our communities. So, please, take your power!”

I think about what a male person in my family asked me a few days ago right after Rabiya Mateo failed to vye for the top 10 of the competition, saying, “What really is the point of that?” (referring to the competition). As per the lack of my routine every night, I got out from a perfectly repetitive and virtually tedious game of farming in a RPG, walked out of the room, sat by the sofa in the living room, then heard the evening news. The question brought up a valid point and quite frankly, for a feisty woman (as I was described by my former partner) who either gets easily offended, disgusted, or exhausted by men’s ignorance, ego, and lack of sensitivity about women’s circumstance in a patriarchal society such as the Philippines, I, frankly quite intently, wondered, too. 

In my head, I thought I did not want to fail my Genders Professor and Feminist Adviser, or the whole cause for that matter... So I held on to my breath, took another, and went through an entire series of arguments about how it’s absolutely tricky to deal with such a question asked by a male educated person who only knows about and holds masculine male sentiments aside from him being my family. So I tried to see it from his perspective.

Does the competition not promote inequality by putting this much attention or significance to women alone? How it teaches the public to be critical and literally, judgmental of women’s intellect, elegance, femininity or character? How, ironic as it may sound, it promotes a toxic culture of competition by putting women up against one another: race-to-race, colour-to-colour, culture-to-culture, one beauty standard to another; perfected universally-accepted language, heritage-to-heritage, talent-to-talent, and who knows whatever else more than simply for the reason of subjecting them in cruel comparison against each other—mainly in the boobs, butt, weight, height, smile and teeth alignment categories. 

It does seem quite ludicrous that men don’t get as much attention or significance in a competition like this. Or are men just not really marketable? (Or are we marketing women more because of the existence of a system that appropriates and demands it?) I suppose people could have created something like this with men in it, then that might have prevented such an inquiry. But what would even be there to see? (Forgive me.)

Naturally, women will compete for the title of the most beautiful woman. It is, after all, a beauty pageant. But winning a competition like this also paves a path for social activism, social change and personal advocacy. Whoever wins the crown inevitably gains some sort of power in the form of access to network, platform for communication, an avenue for empowering certain demographic groups of the winner’s choice, receiving financial support from sponsors, or even a strong political ally/-ies, and yes, even wearing pretty and expensive designer clothes. But I can’t stop thinking about how twisted people (the organisers and other complicit groups who gain from a level of economic benefit of it all, or perhaps even myself) make it look as if the purpose outweighs the manner through which it is achieved… as the old adage goes, “the end justifies the means.”

I find it unacceptable that despite genuine attempts to make it evolve into a more ethical and more “feminist” competition, it’s very nature still defies and directly contradicts the very values it tries uphold. While it is possible for the pageant to make a counter and beg the question “How can women be empowered if they are not given such a platform?”, is it not lazy to be promoting such a culture that celebrates beauty, elegance, grace, and wit through a curated / rehearsed / and to an extent even performed show made for public broadcast just to exemplify the very marketable traits that the perpetrator permits? Why don’t we allow women to excel in cultures where beauty, elegance, grace, and wit are not the only primary factors to be examined to justify their worth? Even the mere act of asking makes me wonder why I even have to pose such a question in the first place.

Alas, as I sit on the sofa listening to my family ask all the valid questions about gender equality surrounding the competition, the reality strikes me that there remains a gap between men and women’s worth in the (different) society. Although I find myself mildly irritated by the fact that I have to answer to the injustices done towards men by the same competition that hurt women more than it did men, I remained thoughtful as to how I would sound fair and not too defensive or “womanly.” It felt like anything I would have said would incriminate my case further only to assert two sets of problems: 1) How can I truly be equal to you while you sit there 2) concerning yourself of your own rights first without acknowledging that the first problem lies in men’s decision that women are inferior? How could I get out of the loop so that my rights aren’t abandoned? How can the scale be tilted so I could be acknowledged without having to fight or explain the reason why I have to be? When will freedom be freedom so I wouldn’t have to force my way in to get a seat at the table? When will my voice not be compromised simply because I did not want to be rude?

“If there would be one thing that I want other people to know about me is that I’m beautiful then and now. The only difference is now, I know better. Stop calling anyone ugly. If that’s how you see things and maybe then, it’s your soul that needs surgery.”

Rabiya Occeña Mateo (born November 14, 1996) is a Filipino model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2020. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and finished as a Top 21 semifinalist.

Mateo was born out of a domestic partnership between her Indian-American father and her Filipino mother who later on separated. According to Mateo, she grew up in poverty. She attended the Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy Program at the Iloilo Doctors' College and graduated cum laude. As of 2020, Mateo was working at a review center in Manila as a lecturer and review coordinator.

She represented Iloilo City at the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 pageant after she won Miss Iloilo Universe 2020 at West Visayas State University Cultural Center.

During the question and answer round of the Top 16 semifinalists, she was asked: "Throughout this journey you have discovered you are a phenomenal woman who is conditioned for greater. How can you create a positive and lasting impact to the world around you?" She responded:

"First of all, I need to stick to my core, which is being passionate about educating people. I am a lecturer and I've been pursuing this because this education had helped me to have that comfortable life that I and my family deserves and I wanna push people, I want them to achieve greater things in life through me and I know that Miss Universe anything is possible because I am a phenomenal woman with a heartfelt beauty."

During the first question and answer portion of the Top 5 finalists, she was asked: "If you can create a new paper currency with the image of any Filipino on it, dead or alive, who would it be and why?" She responded:

"If I were given the chance, I want to use the face of Miriam Defensor-Santiago. For those who don’t know, she was an Ilongga. But what I admired about her is that she used her knowledge, her voice to serve the country. I want to be somebody like her - somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action. After all, she is the best President that we never had."

During the second question and answer portion of the Top 5 finalists, she was asked: "This pandemic has made clear our priorities, essential or non-essential. Where do pageants stand in this time of crisis?" She responded:

"As a candidate, I know I am not just a face of Iloilo City but I am here carrying hope and as a symbol of light in the darkest of times. As of the moment, I want to help my community. I want to use my strength to make an impact. And that is the essence of beauty pageant. It gives us the power to make a difference."

At the end of the event, Mateo was crowned by the outgoing Miss Universe Philippines, Gazini Ganados as Miss Universe Philippines 2020 along with Best in Swimsuit award.

After being hailed as the winner of the inaugural Miss Universe Philippines 2020, Rabiya Mateo’s throwback photos quickly circulated online because her yearbook picture from her Elementary graduation captured the attention of netizens as she looked different compared to how she looks today. Naturally with this, some netizens speculated that she went “under the knife” to improve her physical attributes before joining the said competition.

Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo’s mother has come to her daughter’s defense regarding recent insinuations that the beauty titlist had a nose job. 

“Wala namang retoke si Rabiya,” said Christine Mateo, 54, in an exclusive interview with GMA News Online.

“Pilit ng pilit kasi. Tanong ng tanong ang iba. What’s the big deal? Ang alam ko ’pag may problema sa pimples, punta kay doc; ’pag sa mata, lagyan ng eye makeup; ’pag sa ilong, contour or kay doc, you call that enhancement. Alam naman nila iyan,” said Christine, breaking her silence.

The beauty queen’s mom said she too was “an ugly duckling during my younger days.”

“But, I am a happy person and I have improved myself. Unhappy people evaluate and judge others. My children are the most beautiful gift given to me by God, regardless. What’s important is, and I’m sure lots would agree with me saying this, sana all have a lovely face and a beautiful soul.”

Following this, some quarters insinuated Rabiya may have undergone a nose lift.

Reacting to this, the beauty titlist took to Instagram and said: “This is me 11 years ago. I still didn’t have my braces. I don’t (know) how to put on make-up. I’m not aware of what angle flatters me most, but that was still me.

-A lot of things happened in that period of time. I grew up and has become more mature. I was able to invest in myself and practice self-love. If there would be one thing that I want other people to know about me is that I am beautiful then and now. The only thing different is that now, I know better.”

She also hit back on her detractors, saying: “Stop calling anyone ugly. If that’s how you see things, maybe then it’s your soul that needs surgery.” – RC/LA, GMA News

Aside from her charming looks and oozing sex appeal, she is loved by fans because of her inspiring back story and her friends shared how they witnessed the struggles of Rabiya before achieving her pinnacle of success.

Ramon Munez recalls Rabiya’s humble beginnings who did everything just to finish her studies despite the financial instability of her family and shared that Rabiya had no problem sleeping on the floor when she asked to stay in their boarding house.

“Years ago, she stayed at our boarding house for less than a semester while she was studying at the Iloilo Doctors College and she did not have money to pay for rent,” Munez said.

Her hard work eventually pays off as she graduated Physical Therapy as University valedictorian with the distinction of cum laude.

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

Nelly Cabales also shared a conversation with Rabiya who asked to recommend her to any sideline job so she can 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!”

In another post of Rabiya’s, we can all see how she uplifts and encourages women and all people to love even their simplest selves, and it really shows how much character she has.

“I live in a cruel industry. I’m always compared to different girls and people have always said some things like

“You’re not beautiful enough. You’re so thin. I don’t like what you wear.”

-But then life is never superficial. It’s not always what’s attractive to our eyes but it’s the love we choose to build, the connection we make to people and how we want to celebrate ourselves! Even in my simplest form with no make-up, no heavy hair extensions and nothing fancy to wear. Just me. 

I know in my heart I am nothing less than phenomenal.”

Personality Profile by: Lopez, Louella Veda Annicha G. (11 HUMSS 4)

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.