Dia Mate. Screengrab from Reina Hispanoamericana Facebook page.
Dia Mate from the Philippines was crowned Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 in ceremonies held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Feb. 9 (Feb. 10 in Manila).
Mate, who hails from the political clan of the Remullas of Cavite, bested 24 other aspirants in the Latin-dominated international competition to inherit the title from 2023/2024 winner Maricielo Gamarra from Peru. Her victory is the second time that the country was able to bag the crown after Filipino actress Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez in 2017.
The contest, as in the past, also proclaimed a “Virreina” or vice-queen, Sofia Fernandez of Venezuela, who will take over in the event the winner fails to perform her duties.
Proclaimed as runners-up were:
Primera Finalista – Miss Colombia
Segunda Finalista – Miss España
Tercera Finalista – Miss Perú
Cuarta Finalista – Miss Brasil
Quinta Finalista – Miss Polonia
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Dia Mate of the Philippines is Reina Hispano Americana 2025. Screengrab from Reina Hispanoamericana Facebook page.
Force to contend with
In her sheer Rian Fernandez gold column gown, Mate delivered her winning answer to the question: What value do you think is the most important to our society, and why do you think this is important?
“I think the one most important value that we should have is kindness. And my experience here in Bolivia is that you have showed me so much kindness and so much love even though racially I am not Latina. 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,” she said.
“And I hope this shows to everybody that if we use kindness, that we are all the same, then we can create a better world and a better society for us all,” she added.
Prior to the coronation, Mate showed that she is a force to contend with, having won the Best in National Costume or the “traje tipico” contest, after showcasing three major Philippine religious and cultural festivals in one ensemble, which featured an intricate gold salakot (native hat) and a heavily-beaded banig (traditionally handwoven mat) gown.
At the coronation proper, Mate was among the beauties chosen to showcase their singing abilities in a brief solo performance at their opening number. She was off to a strong start when she was called to be part of the Top 12 to advance to the next round.
Mate, a singer and model, is the girlfriend of musician JK Labajo. She first joined the 2024 Miss Universe pageant where she received a special title from a sponsor, but missed the first cut.
She then joined the 2025 Miss World Philippines pageant months later, where she inherited the Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas title from Michelle Arceo, who was second runner-up in the global tilt.
Marquez, niece of 1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez, was the first Asian woman to be crowned Reina Hispanoamericana. She won the title in 2017 as the first-ever candidate to come from the continent, earning her the moniker, “Latina slayer.”
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The Reina Hispanoamericana pageant was established in 1991 as Reina Sudamerica, to promote Bolivia as a tourist destination, and covered South American countries only.
But it has expanded globally and was rebranded as Reina Hispanoamericana to serve as a platform to promote Hispanic culture and welcomed countries outside South America with Spanish influences.
