RABIYA Mateo announced, right after losing in the recent Miss Universe pageant, that she will just join showbiz. She said: “I’m planning to go into showbiz. Acting probably.”

She sounds like she’s sure that it’s so easy to get into acting. She should be told that gone are the days when a beauty title is enough guarantee to make it as an artista. So many recent beauty queens have joined showbiz after their reign but failed to hit it big.

Let’s face it, not even the two younger Miss Universes from our country, succeeded in trying to cultivate a showbiz career. Pia Wurtzbach did a movie with Gerald Anderson, and that’s about it. No follow up at all. Catriona Gray tried hosting a noontime show, but it didn’t click and quickly folded up.

Beauty queens in the 70s and 80s were more successful, like Gloria Diaz and Pilar Pilapil who joined tinseltown and became big stars, even winning acting awards. Other beauty queens who made a name for themselves in showbiz are Charlene Gonzales, Maribel Lopez, Alice Dixson, Melanie Marquez, Anjanette Abayari, to name a few.

They got to play lead roles in a number of movies. But so many recent beauty queens also tried to foray into acting or hosting but failed to really make their presence felt, like Miriam Quiambao, AIleen Damiles, Bianca Manalo, Laura Lehman, Venus Raj and Maxine Medina who now plays a contravida in “First Yaya”. Some of them even made it as a runner up in Miss Universe, and Rabiya didn’t make it to the top 10.

It’s really a tough time to join showbiz these days when the film industry is down. Even winners of talent searches like Kisses Delavin and Myrtle Sarossa are not so lucky. They even left ABS-CBN and moved to GMA-7, but still, their careers didn’t turn rosy like they expected to.

One international title holder who’s getting good projects is Kylie Versoza. One thing with her is she really knows how to act, as seen in the movie “Kasal” and in the TV series “Los Bastardos” where she played a contravida. She now stars in a new Viva movie, “Parang Kayo, Pero Hindi”, with Marco Gumabao.

A Miss International winner like her is Precious Lara Quigaman, who’s now married to actor Marco Alcaraz. She didn’t make it big as a lead star, but is now one of our most reliable character actresses as she also acts well. So in the end, Rabiya should bear in mind, it’s one’s good talent and competence that count, not just being a beauty queen.

TV5 Launches Fabulous“Iba sa 5” Station ID, Offers a Home for Celebrities and Creatives

AT a time when many businesses had no choice but to close down, TV5 has redefined television dynamics by opening their doors to talents and creatives from different networks and giving them a new home. “Iba sa 5,” TV5’s new station ID features different celebrities and diverse personalities who now have shows on the channel.

Among them are Maja Salvador, Noel Comia Jr., Empoy Marquez, Billy Crawford, Matteo Guidicelli, Maine Mendoza, Paolo Ballesteros, Cristine Reyes, Herbert Bautista, McCoy de Leon, Randy Santiago, K Brosas, Rey Valera, Alex Gonzaga, Xian Lim, Yassi Pressman, John Estrada, Ellen Adarna, Jay-R, Luchi Cruz-Valdes, Cheryl Cosim, Gretchen Ho, Marga Vargas, Paolo Bediones and Raffy Tulfo.