CAN she win the Philippines’fifth Miss Universe crown?

All eyes will be on Ilongga stunner Rabiya Mateo today as she represents the Philippines at the 69th Miss Universe pageant at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Hope is high that the Filipino-Indian beauty will duplicate the smashing wins of national treasures Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Catriona Gray (2018) and bring home the Miss Universe crown.

What are Mateo’s chances to succeed the reigning South African Miss Universe Zozibini

Tunzi, who won in 2019?

There are less candidates this year given the absence of representatives from 18 countries. Germany, Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Guam, Kenya, Lithuania, Mongolia, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey and US Virgin Islands were unable to hold their respective Miss Universe pageants in 2020 given their Covid-19 protocols.

Mateo is ahead in the race given her frontrunner standing in online fan votes. Based on the partial tally of shopping app Lazada — the Miss Universe Organization’s official Philippinebased voting platform — Miss Philippines has a significant lead over fellow fan favorites Miss Vietnam Nguyên Trân Khánh Vân, Miss Indonesia Ayu Maulida Putri, Miss Thailand Amanda Obdam and Miss Malaysia Francisca Luhong James.

These votes will be incorporated with votes from all around the world on the official Miss Universe app and if Mateo keeps up her numbers, she will automatically advance to the Top 21.

Missosology picks

Leading beauty pageant website Missosology has been giving out its hot picks for the biggest contests — Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, Miss Earth and lately, Miss Supranational — from pre-arrival to the finals. Just like in previous editions, it fearlessly ranks its choices among the 73 candidates in this year’s Miss Universe.

Mateo was consistently in their top five. On May 15, she placed third.

“Never mind the negativities that surrounded her over the past few days. Rabiya’s interviews before and during the pageant are proof she is genuine and has a great rapport with anyone she talks to,” Missosology posted on its website.

“She has proven she is quick-witted, communicates well and has a solid stand on social issues — one that the Miss Universe competition is looking for in a winner over the past couple of years. Rabiya also knows exactly how to present herself onstage and she was able to show that in her preliminary swimsuit performance,” it added.

India’s Adline Castelino was chosen as the top pick followed by Peru’s Janick Maceta. Romania’s Bianca Tirsin is in fourth place.

The rest in Missosology’s Top 10 are Misses Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and Jamaica. Rounding up the Top 21 are Venezuela, USA, Nepal, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Colombia, Curacao, South Africa, Canada, Bolivia and Finland.

Psychic predictions

Psychic pageanthologist Gurmeet Kals, who has been accurate in his forecasts since 2015, said the Miss Universe crown will go to the country with the “golden lions.”

“The winner will be from a country where the golden lions roar and history speaks of one of the most powerful armies. A country where commitment in love and love in traditions are still seen in abundance and [where] women love wearing gowns. The color blue is also seen connected to the winner,” he wrote on his website.