RABIYA MATEO didn’t win in the Miss Universe but she’s luckier than winners Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray whose showbiz careers did not prosper.
Rabiya is now a GMA artist and she’s getting a big break as the leading lady of Sen. Bong Revilla in “Agimat ng Agila, Season 2”, that starts airing this Saturday at 7:15 PM.
This is a very auspicious start for any newcomer. We think Rabiya’s edge is that her morena beauty is really more of the “pang-artista type”.
She reminds us of Cindy Miranda, who didn’t win big as a beauty queen but now has a stable acting career as a leading lady in Vivamax movies.
Sen. Bong Revilla has nothing but praises for Rabiya, saying she shows much promise. “Magaling siya at hindi natatakot kahit sa action scenes niya,” says Bon. “Malayo ang mararating niya. Puede siya maging action queen.”
And what’s Rabiya's reaction? “Salamat po kay Sen. Bong sa mga papuri niya,” she says. “I’m really very grateful to be part of ‘Agimat ng Agila, Season 2'. Nagpapasalamat din po ako sa GMA-7. Grabe ang tiwala nila sa akin para ibigay ang role na ito sa akin. Kaya I promise na hindi ko sasayangin ang blessing na ito. Sana nga, magtuloy-tuloy siya.”
How is Sen. Bong as a leading man?
“Siempre, intimidated ako nung una, but sobrang bait niya sa set. Hindi siya nagsasawang alalayan ako, kasi aminado naman akong baguhan lang ako. And I learned so much from him, lalo na about the do’s and the don’ts sa showbiz.”
She plays a law enforcer in the show and is required to do fight scenes. “Physically, very challenging to do the action scenes. You really have to sweat it, out so I enrolled in boxing and had private sessions with our action director.
'Ang mga ginawa ko rito, napakalayo sa pagiging beauty queen, but i’m loving the challenge and the transition mula sa pagiging beauty queen into being an actress.”
What’s the reaction of her family that she’s in a big show like “Agimat ng Agila, Season 2.”
“I just came from Iloilo and they are all excited for me. Sabi ng mama ko, galingan mo lagi ha. Kasi puro magagaling ang mga kasama mo.
'She even told me na baka relative namin si Sen. Bong kasi may Bautista rin sa family namin. Lahat sila, they can’t wait to see the show at mapanood ang aking acting debut.”
How is working with Sanya Lopez?
“Siempre, excited ako kasi Sanya Lopez yan. Big star siya ng GMA, but she’s very kind to me when we met. Sayang nga sandali lang kami nagkasama rito. Sana, later on, we’ll get the chance na magkasama kami sa isang big project.”
She’s being linked to Kapuso actor Jeric Gonzales after they guested in a show but she says she has no interest in romance right now.
“Sa ngayon, career lang talaga ang focus. Hindi lovelife. Sayang naman ang opportunity na binigay sa’kin ng GMA kung lovelife pa ang uunahin ko. I really want to make good as an actress.”
Rabiya is also happy to work with the other cast members of “Agimat ng Agila”: Gardo Versoza as Zeus, the head of a mining company; Benjie Paras and Betong Sumaya as the sidekicks of Sen.Bong, Kim de Leon as Jumong, and newcomer Lia Salvador as Kim’s love interest.
