Dubbed as her "agimat," the earrings are believed to give Rabiya luck in winning the Miss Universe crown
In every quest, champions bring a special piece with them on their journey, whether it is something to protect them or to help them claim victory. For Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo, it is the earrings worn by Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach that will be her lucky charm in the competition.
According to a chat with Pia and Aces and Queens head Gerry Diaz, it was revealed that Rabiya will wear them for the Closed Door Preliminary Interview of the Miss Universe pageant. And after a little investigation, it looked like she did!
Iloilo-based fashion designer Ram Silva confirms it as the Pinay beauty queen wore it with his bedazzled dress coat for the said pre-pageant activity.
According to his post, the dress represents his respect for Filipino women and the motherland. What makes it special is the word "Pinay" beaded on its back, tinted with the same colors of Rabiya's national costume. The blue symbolizes peace, justice, truth. Patriotism and valor is represented by red. Yellow stands for liberty.
"I am extremely happy," the designer tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. "Seeing my creation in a national arena gives me a different feeling. I’m jumping for joy and I was totally surprised. I didn’t know she would wear that dress in the preliminary interview as well."
"I’d like to call the piece 'Pinay,'" Ram continues. "It gives us a strong message to stop stereotyping women. I was able to finish it in one week."
We don't need any charm to know that Rabiya did a great job on the preliminary interview!