Filipino pageant enthusiasts rejoiced after Filipina beauty queen Dia Maté bagged the Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 title.
Dia stood out among 23 contestants from various countries with Hispanic influences during the pageant's grand finale on Monday, February 10, 2025, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
She became the successor of Maricielo Gamarra of Peru and the second Filipina to clinch this title, following Winwyn Marquez's win in 2017.
Read: Philippine bet Dia Mate wins Reina Hispanoamericana 2025
With Dia's recent victory, the spotlight is now on the Philippines' second "Latina Slayer." Here's everything you need to know about Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 Dia Mate:
NAME, AGE, BIRTHDAY
Deanna Marie Maté, or Dia, is 23 years old. She was born on September 18, 2001.
FAMILY AND HOMETOWN
Dia is the daughter of business and marketing professionals Lea and Mike Mate.
She hails from the influential Remulla political clan of Cavite and is the granddaughter of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla.
RELATIONSHIP
Dia is in a relationship with OPM singer Juan Karlos Labajo.
On February 5, 2025, she took to Instagram to post a heartfelt birthday message for her boyfriend, whom she lovingly referred to as her "best friend" and "greatest love."
In the caption, Dia wrote, "Happiest birthday to my best friend and my greatest love [heart emoji] You deserve the world and more."
Read: JK Labajo congratulates gf Dia Mate for winning Reina crown
Juan Karlos officially announced their relationship on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2024, by sharing a cozy photo of the two, accompanied by a simple heart emoji.
Read: JK Labajo Shares Sweet Pic with Dia Mate on Valentine's
PAGEANT CAREER
Dia is a newcomer to the pageant scene, making her debut in May 2024 at the Miss Universe Philippines pageant.
She represented her hometown, Cavite.
She didn't make it to the Top 20, but this didn't deter her from becoming a beauty queen.
On July 19, 2024, she joined the Miss World Philippines and was crowned Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2024.
On February 10, 2025, she won the Reina Hispanoamericana 2025.
A highlight of her latest pageant journey was Dia's Best in National Costume win for her stunning "Banaag" ensemble, designed by Ehrran Montoya, who drew inspiration from the ancient Baroque churches of the Philippines, acknowledged as an architectural treasure by UNESCO.
Dia also dazzled in a vibrant carnival costume named "Enero," designed by Er Stephen Alvarado, who used the grand festivals of January—like Sinulog, Dinagyang, Ati-Atihan, and others—as pegs.
For the evening gown segment, Dia radiated elegance in a gold gown created by Rian Fernandez.
Dia made a lasting impression during the question-and-answer segment when the judges asked her about the values she considers essential for building a fair society and their significance.
Her winning answer:
"I think the most important value that we should have is kindness.
"In my experience here in Bolivia, Latinas have shown me so much kindness and so much love even though racially I am not Latino.
"And the most beautiful thing I've noticed is that even though we don't speak the same language, we share the same culture, same heart, and same faith in God...
"And I hope this shows everybody that if we use kindness we can show that we are all the same and can create a better world and a better society for us all."
ADVOCACY
As a beauty queen, Dia actively promotes mental health awareness and advocates for music therapy as a helpful means of healing mental illnesses.
Over recent years, she has been actively involved with Cribs Foundation Inc., where she facilitates music therapy sessions for neglected children and sexually abused girls aged 7 to 17.
In a 2024 interview with PEP, Dia said, "I am a musician. I write my own songs, and I really, truly found my talent and what I was good at when I was at my lowest, which is when I was experiencing mental illness.
"And with that, I wanted to teach other people how music can not just be a tool for entertainment, but a tool for therapy as well.
"So, right now, I'm currently partnering with Cribs Foundation, Inc., which is a foundation that holds neglected children and also sexually abused girls from 7 to 17 years old.
"And there, I teach them music, and I can see how it really, truly helps them and how their eyes open up with light and joy.
"And it's something that really touched my heart, and it's something that I want to share with the world."
MUSIC CAREER
Beyond pageantry, Dia is a recording artist.
In 2020, she participated in The Pop Stage, an online talent show, where she achieved a spot in the Grand Finals.
In the same year, she also learned the art of music production that year.
By May 2021, Dia began sharing her music on streaming services, beginning with the R&B track "Heart Hates Me." She subsequently released her debut EP titled don't quote me featuring the songs "faded," "Beautiful Disaster," "take me away," and "Dream."
Continuing her musical journey, Dia released the single "Fantasy" in 2022, followed by "I Wanna Make You Mine" in 2023, and "Oceans of Emotions" in 2024.
One of Dia's latest releases, "Ganda Gandahan," became a TikTok sensation.
Debuting on November 20, 2024, this synth-pop anthem champions the embrace of beauty and confidence, aligning seamlessly with her pageant experiences.
Dia co-wrote the song with her best friend, fellow artist Dom Guyot.
In an interview with PEP, Dia mentioned that this release marks her reintroduction to the music scene as a singer after going through a self-discovery.
She said, "I kind of figure out where I really was [as a singer]. And I wasn't afraid anymore to be myself and make music that is out of the box.
"Especially since Ganda Gandahan... it's OPM but it's not your particular OPM like, the Tagalog is a little bit off, the pronunciation is a little bit conyo, very Englishera, you know what I mean? That kind of vibe.
"And that's really who I am talaga. I try my best to stay Tagalog, and I accept that I'm not the best of it. I grew up in the south so I can really be conyo.
"Me and my best friend, Dom Guyot, I owe it all to him. He really helped me figure out who I was especially musically, and sonically, and my branding as a pop girl and that's when Ganda Gandahan is born."
On January 17, 2025, a few days after flying to Bolivia for the Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 pageant, Dia released her latest song "Ikaw Ang Pinili Ko."
After releasing her latest track and completing her commitments in Bolivia as Reina Hispanoamericana 2025, Dia is preparing to unveil her debut studio album this year.
She said, "After the pageant, I have so many music plans. I'm going to release my debut album this year and your pop girl album, so dancy, so fun. And I can't wait for everybody to hear it."
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