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Viral working student from Cebu gets laptop from MUP 2020 Rabiya Mateo

DALAGUETE, Cebu—Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo is a queen indeed.

In the second episode of “Stories of Hope”, an IG series about her advocacy for Education, Mateo surprised a working student in Cebu City by giving her a laptop.

HOPE

Screen grab from Stories of Hope Episode 2 – Against All Odds, In Pursuit of the Dream

Rabiya personally met Joyce Baluran, a service crew member for a popular fast-food chain in Cebu City.

This she did before she left for the United States to compete for the 69th Miss Universe competition this coming May 16, 2021.

Read: Rabiya Mateo’s fans send her off with warm wishes

Joyce, 20, has been working while studying for two years now. She’s taking up Bachelor of Science in Early Education and is a third year college student.

The 11-minute video showed Rabiya’s visit to the fast food chain, where Baluran was working. Baluran had a heart-to-heart talk with Mateo, talking about her challenges as a working student.

Rabiya got impressed with her determination and hard work when she saw a post of Joyce attending online classes during her break time sometime in November last year.

Joyce only used her cellphone to make her projects and attend her online classes.

But not having the best of equipment didn’t stop her from learning and dreaming as she aspires to become a teacher.

The beauty queen from Iloilo took to her Instagram account on Monday, March 1, 2021, her call for help to make some educational problems come to light.

Rabiya is the MUP organization’s Ambassador for Education after winning the crown on October 2020.

She previously released the first episode of her “Stories of Hope” IG series entitled “The Journey to the Dream,” featuring a kid who walks an hour everyday to get to school.

/bmjo

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