Rabiya Mateo dreams of owning a funeral parlor, and for a good reason

Image: Instagram/@rabiyamateo

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo may have thought about how practical it is to get into the funeral business — everyone dies after all. But she has an interesting reason for wanting to try out this venture, and one can say it’s a reason that would dignify the departed.

The beauty queen told fans about her dream business while discussing 24 trivia about herself in her YouTube vlog yesterday, July 25.

“Isa sa gusto kong business na itayo in the future is punerarya. Hindi naman natin hinihingi yun (death), di ba? That’s the cycle of life,” she said. (One of the businesses that I want to build in the future is a funeral parlor. We don’t ask for death, right? That’s the cycle of life.)

Mateo added that she wanted to make sure her clients would be beautiful even in death, since she was not satisfied with the way makeup is being applied to the deceased in her province, Iloilo.

“Hindi ko kasi gusto ‘yung makeup ng patay sa probinsya. Parang feeling ko nilalagyan lang sila ng puting foundation at kinikilayan lang sila,” she noted. “Gusto ko magkaroon ng punerarya at gusto ko maganda yung makeup ng mga kliyente ko.”

(I don’t like how they do the makeup for the deceased in the province. I feel like white foundation is just put on their faces and eyebrows are just drawn on them. I want to have a funeral parlor and I want my clients’ makeup to be beautiful.)

Aside from her dream business, Mateo also talked about her fear of tuko (gecko), favorite shows or movies, and her insecurity with her finger deformity.

“I have swan neck deformity, and I was able to understand my condition when I was already in college because I was taking up physical therapy,” she said while showing her slightly bent pointer fingers.

Mateo returned to the Philippines earlier this month after representing the country in the 69th Miss Universe pageant in May. She finished in the top 21 of the competition. JB

RELATED STORIES:

Rabiya Mateo admits ‘complicated situation’ with BF amid breakup speculations

Rabiya Mateo clarifies she’s ‘not available’ after being spotted with Andre Brouillette