Nicole Cordoves, Rabiya Mateo to return to Miss Iloilo stage

January 15 ------ Beauty queens Nicole Cordoves and Rabiya Mateo will once again grace the stage of the Miss Iloilo pageant for this year’s edition of the annual competition, held as part of the “Dinagyang” Festival. Cordoves is coming back for a fourth time to host the contest, while Mateo will be one of the judges. The two shared hosting chores in the 2024 pageant.

Miss Iloilo made the announcements in separate posts on the pageant’s official social media pages while also revealing more celebrity quests for the coronation night.

Joining Mateo at the judging panel will be 2023 Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Marquez Dee, Miss Universe Philippines President Jonas Gaffud, Vice President Mags Cue, and international pageant shoe designer Jojo Bragais. Mateo is the winner of the first-ever standalone Miss Universe Philippines pageant held in 2020, a competition that she was able to join due to her winning the Miss Iloilo contest that year.

Cordoves, meanwhile, celebrated her repeat appearance in the pageant. “Happy fourth anniversary to us [hands forming a heart emoji] so excited to be back!!” she wrote when she shared the social media post from the Miss Iloilo page.

The Miss Iloilo pageant has been a source of beauty queens of international caliber. Aside from Mateo, the local competition also produced Alexie Brooks, the reigning Miss Eco International.

Twelve ladies are competing in this year’s Miss Iloilo pageant. The coronation night will be held at the West Visayas State University Cultural Center on Jan. 17.

Source: inquirer.com