ILOILO, Philippines — Rabiya Mateo said she is not planning to run for public office after conducting an outreach program at her former school in Iloilo, where she distributed school supplies and meals to students.
Mateo made the clarification on Monday, June 1, after posting about her visit to Balasan Central Elementary School on Instagram.
She said she returned to her former school and provided 250 sets of school supplies, bags, and packed meals to students.
In her post, Mateo said she felt honored to return to her elementary school and described the activity as personal. She also said she aimed to create more opportunities to support communities in the future.
Mateo addressed speculation about a possible political bid and said she is not running in the upcoming elections.
She said she conducted the outreach because she believes people who receive support should also give back to their communities.
Mateo also visited the school’s Special Education Department during her visit. She said the experience reflected her background as a physical therapist and her plans to pursue medical studies.
She thanked friends who helped organize the activity and her partner, actor Jake Cuenca, who supported the outreach.
Mateo represented the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and recently gained admission to the University of Santo Tomas College of Medicine.