While she’s now an actress and television host, Rabiya Mateo admitted that—as a former pageant titleholder—there’s still pressure for her to look the way she did when she competed at Miss Universe 2020.

“There’s so much pressure to maintain my face and body. Being in the public eye is no joke. Some expect that the Rabiya they saw in Miss U should still be the same Rabiya they see now. But you can’t really avoid aging or the normal wear and tear to your body,” she said at her recent launch as the new endorser of the beauty clinic Royal Aesthetics Philippines.

Just because she’s a beauty queen doesn’t necessarily mean she has no insecurities about her physical appearance. She actually has a few, she said, and she’s still trying to come to terms with some of them.

“When I was competing, I was made fun of for having scars and uneven skin tone on my knees... When I was younger, people told me I would look prettier if I had a lighter complexion. That compelled me to save money just so I could buy whitening soap and that really affected me,” she recalled.

‘Just laugh them off’

“Right now, I still have insecurities with my skin. I have a lot of imperfections. I struggle with acne. It may not seem obvious with the makeup, but I have scarring... Sometimes, I wonder if my arms are becoming bigger,” she added. “I’m very open about them.”

But as she continues to navigate show biz, she’s finally learning to take things in stride.

“People always nitpick on our looks... One time, I got caught on video with my tummy bulging because of bad posture. Suddenly, people were saying I’m pregnant! Sometimes, that gets to us. There are celebrities who suffer from body dysmorphia. It’s so hard. I’m in awe of those who can just shake the bad comments off, because there are others who lose confidence,” she said.

“When I was just starting out in show biz, I took those things personally. But now I just laugh them off. I have learned to separate my personal life from public opinion. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

Rabiya’s acne breakouts, she noticed, are often triggered by stress and lack of sleep—something that she doesn’t always have the luxury of having enough of because of work.

“No matter how tired I am, I do my best to take care of my face. However, there are days when you can’t avoid blemishes, pimples popping out. That’s when I seek professional care. I get treatments like Royal Aesthetics’ so-called ‘vampire facial’ where they inject your platelet-rich plasma into your face for collagen synthesis,” said Rabiya, who cautioned fellow acne sufferers from self-medicating.

“Go to a doctor... Back then, I would watch vloggers and buy the products they used because it worked for them. But then, my skin would just get worse. You need to get checked because acne can be caused by various factors. It can be genetic,” pointed out Rabiya who’s also a licensed physical therapist.

ConfidenceAs someone who comes from a humble background, Rabiya, who grew up in a broken family in Iloilo, knows that skin treatments are a luxury. “When you have nothing, you prioritize food, shelter and everyday needs,” she said.

And while some people may raise their eyebrows at the concept of self-care and dismiss it as plain vanity, Rabiya believes there’s nothing wrong with people seeking to enhance their looks, especially if it will help them feel better about themselves.

“If they have the means, it may do them good to invest in something that can possibly bring out the best in them and be more confident,” she said. “It’s better to just let people decide for themselves.”

Rabiya’s contract with the variety show “TiktoClock” has recently ended, she said. And while she will miss her cohosts like Kuya Kim Atienza and Pokwang, she said she’s ready to explore other show biz projects. She would like to do more acting and dabble in heavy drama, for one.

So far, she has starred in the series “Agimat ng Agila,” the recently concluded “Makiling” and various drama anthology episodes. Now, she’s set to make a special appearance in GMA 7 ‘s upcoming period primetime series, “Pulang Araw.”

“I have been only doing this for a while, but I have already fallen in love with it. I’m willing to learn and practice more. I hope I can land a good role I can give justice to.

“I also did an episode for ‘Wish Ko Lang.’ I have been wanting to do heavy drama, ‘yung iyakan talaga. It will take a lot of practice to be good at it,” said Rabiya, who couldn’t be more grateful to Sparkle GMA Artist Center, for giving her opportunities to branch out from her beauty queen persona. “It’s nice to hear that they appreciate my passion.”

Fruits of hard workSlowly but surely, the 27-year-old talent is starting to reap the fruits of her hard work. She’s particularly excited about having her mom’s house renovated. But she doesn’t want to stop there.

“I know that life won’t be like this forever. So now that things are good, I will save and invest as much as I can... Not everyone gets opportunities like these, so I can’t really complain. Everything that’s happening to me, I view from a lens of gratitude,” Rabiya said. “I’m just praying that my heart doesn’t change ... that my feet stay on the ground.” INQ