Ian Veneracion, Dimples Romana, Sue Ramirez, Adrian Lindayag, Louise Abuel

Binibining Pilipinas crowned the Philippines’ representative to Miss Universe from 1964 to 2019 and each year, the titleholder was welcomed by Filipino beauty pageants with positive attention. That is not exactly the case with Miss Philippines Universe 2020 Rabiya Mateo, 24.

It could be because Mateo happened to have fellow candidates with more fans. It could be because she won through a standalone contest and as the only winner, the supporters of the candidates who were not crowned are just jealous. It could be because of the rumor that she went under the knife. It could be because she does not look like the previous representatives of the Philippines to Miss Universe. It could be because people are just not psychologically okay amid the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It could be a lot of things.

On the other hand, many Filipinos are rallying behind Mateo. One of them is Gloria Diaz, 69, the Philippines’ very own and first ever Miss Universe.

“I love the winner,” Manila Bulletin quoted Diaz as saying of the newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2020 during a Zoom interview with the cast of the TV5 show “Oh My Dad!” “She’s beautiful. She looks like my daughter.”

Diaz has two daughters namely Isabelle Daza,32, and Ava Daza, 30. Miss Universe 1969 also has one adopted son named Raphael Daza.

“She’s super ganda (beautiful),” Diaz said of Mateo. “She’s very natural.”

Mateo is 5’6″. She is 1 inch taller than Diaz, who was only 18 years old when she was crowned Miss Universe 1969.

Diaz is one of the cast members of “Oh My Dad,”  a family sitcom set that premiered on TV5 on October 24, 2020. Among her co-stars are Ian Veneracion, Dimples Romana, Sue Ramirez, Louise Abuel, Adrian Lindayag and Ariel Ureta.

One day before the premiere of “Oh My Dad,” the coronation night of the inaugural Miss Universe Philippines was held at Baguio Country Club in Baguio City, Philippines. Besting 45 other candidates, Mateo won the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 title, which was made public only on October 25, 2020 when the event was aired via different platforms.