Chronically online Filipinos recently popularized the phrase, “sobrang Latina!” (very Latina-like) to compliment a person’s looks either seriously or jokingly. When Dia Remulla Maté stood above all in Reina Hispanoamericana to reclaim the Philippine crown after eight years, she was called “sobrang Latina!“
Dia made herstory on Monday morning, February 10 (Manila time), after defeating over 20 candidates and winning the Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 crown in Bolivia. She became the second Filipina to wear the coveted title after Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez’s feat in 2017, and is the newest “Latina slayer.”
The term is given by pageant fans to Filipina queens who have won in pageants or pageant editions dominated by Latinas. Reina Hispanoamericana, an international pageant based in Bolivia, only accepts candidates from countries with hispanic cultures and traditions.
After her victory, Dia said she did not expect to win because she was up against equally gorgeous and smart women. In the pageant world, Latinas are both feared and revered due to their beauty — they’re tall and long-legged with attractive facial features.
“Of course, coming into all competitions, I want to hope for the best and not expect too much because I didn’t want to get my hopes up. And of course, I was going into this competition against all of these beautiful women who have impacted lives of other people and are all deserving to win. So I am just so grateful and proud that I got the second crown for the Philippines,” the 22-year-old beauty queen told pageant portal Missossology in an interview.
It was not an easy fight, but Dia shone the brightest that day.
Filipina in the land of Latinas
In her weeks-long journey, Dia showed that she was a whole package and had done her assignment. She won the Best National Costume (Mejor Traje Típico) award ahead of the finals night for her costume “Banaag,” designed by Ehrran Montoya. The look was inspired by the Philippines’ UNESCO-recognized Baroque churches.
This was a smart choice because Dia and Montoya did not only showcase the intricate designs of ancient churches, but also promoted both the hispanic and Catholic sides of the Philippines.
Before her preliminary interview, Dia showed the judges Filipino hospitality by giving them world-famous Filipino dried mangoes and Kalesa figurines. The choice of figurines was quite strategic too, as this gave another nod to the country’s Spanish roots.
Dia stood out also because of her singing skills. Often done by reigning queens, Dia found herself on center stage, opening the swimsuit round on Monday, and showcasing her vocal prowess. This gave Filipino pageant fans an indication that Dia was an early favorite of the pageant’s organizers, Promociones Gloria.
In the swimsuit round, Dia confidently owned the stage, wearing a black and white one-piece, partnered with flowy arm capes. These colors allowed Dia’s bronze skin to shine, but the cherry on top was the stunner’s long black hair that emphasized both her complexion and oriental features.
Dia’s choice of gold for her Rian Fernandez evening gown was perfect as it once again highlighted her Filipina complexion. The low-cut bodice, along with vertical patterns created by the gown’s beading work gave the illusion of height, while her black straight hair did not take away the highlight on the bodice. These little details enabled Dia to project herself like a true reina.
Dia is intelligent and eloquent, and though sounding a bit nervous at the start, it was her reply to the question, “What value do you think is the most important to create a fair society, and why do you think this is important?” that solidified her win.
“I think the one most important value we should have is kindness. In my experience here in Bolivia, Latinos have shown me so much kindness and so much love even though racially I am not Latino. 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 to everybody that if we use kindness and we can show that we are all the same, we can create a better world and a better society for us all.”
The making of a ‘Latina slayer’
Beauty camps and fans are among the factors why the Philippines has been at the top of pageantry from the early 2010s up to the present. Dia was part of a camp, Aces and Queens, that trained her in all aspects of her beauty competitions: from proper walking, to styling and make-up, and even in communication.
Aces and Queens, or A&Q for short, has produced some of the country’s most successful queens like Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Miss World 2013 Megan Young, and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa. It was also the same camp that trained Teresita Ssen in 2017 and contributed to her victory.
Gerry Diaz, among A&Q’s head, shared in a post that Dia and Teresita Ssen had met in late October, where the latter shared tips about the pageant’s background and organizers, including tips and pointers on how to capture the Latin-American audience.
“Wynwyn was super nice and I remember her looking at Dia and saying ‘You’re very pretty. And ang kinis ng face mo (And you have very smooth skin),” Diaz shared. “We ended our lunch by telling Wynwyn that I hope that she will rub off on Dia the charm and [luck] that made her win. Looks like SHE DID.”
Apart from beauty camps, candidates can also pick people to be part of their team or train them in a specific aspect of competition like in the pasarela (pageant walk). Dia picked Miss Grand International 2024 1st runner-up CJ Opiaza as her pasarela coach and it obviously paid off. Apart from being a beauty queen, CJ is also a sought-after runway coach.
The big improvement was obvious in Dia’s walk in the Reina Hispanoamericana finals night, compared to her first try in Miss Universe Philippines 2024. Her movements created a strong and compelling stage presence.
Like her boyfriend JK Labajo, Dia has a music career in the Philippines and has been a recording artist even before she entered the world of pageantry. Her song, “Ganda Gandahan,” released in November 2024 spoke about beauty and confidence, while also shedding light on the double standards that women in the entertainment industry face.
Apart from this, Dia also gets inspiration and courage from her experience at CRIBS Foundation Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that cares for “abandoned, neglected, [and] surrendered babies and female minor survivors of sexual abuse.” There, she teaches music to young girls.
“For me, really, it is using music as a tool for mental illness because as someone who has experienced depression and anxiety, music has really been one tool that has truly helped me and I love that I did win Reina Hispano-Americana because Latinos love music…. Everyone enjoys it, that’s how people connect and I want to show that you can use music to help heal others and yourself,” Dia said in the Missossology interview.
In the same interview, she was asked about her thoughts on the ongoing US immigration issues that affect people of color, like Latinos. The granddaughter of Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla replied: “For me, I really believe that each country does have its own right to have national policy and border control. But these immigrants and these Latinos that live in America that are being deported are losing their families and losing the lives they’ve built. And I think it’s a tragedy because they have not only brought in cultural diversity to this country but also helped economic growth.”
She added, “And I plead to America to treat these immigrants with utmost dignity and respect because that’s what they deserve.”
The new reina
According to Teresita Ssen’s interview back in 2017, a Reina Hispanoamericana titleholder receives a cash prize (the amount was not specified), appliances, gowns, and other gifts. But the grandest of them all is a replica of the ruby crown, which costs around $7,000. The replica is made of rubies, diamonds, and silver. The original crown, which is bigger and more expensive, stays with Promociones Gloria.
Dia would probably receive the same prizes that Teresita Ssen took home eight years ago. Her victory also bolstered the country’s standing in the Latin-American pageant, which it joined only in 2017.
In a span of eight years, the country has already won two crowns and has secured runner-up placements. Other successful Filipinas are:
- Maria Katrina Llegado, Reina Hispanoamericana 2019 5th runner-up
- Emanuelle Vera, Reina Hispanoamericana 2021 3rd runner-up
- Ingrid Sta. Maria, Reina Hispanoamericana 2022 top 12 finisher
- Michelle Arceo, Reina Hispanoamericana 2023 2nd runner-up
Although not considered a major pageant, Reina Hispanoamericana is respected because of the quality of winners it produces.
Take Teresita Ssen, for example. After winning, her career grew blossomed and the word “reina” became associated with her name. Now she is vying for the Miss Universe Philippines crown for the second time, joining the league of other Reina Hispanoamericana titleholders who competed after winning in Bolivia-based pageant.
As for Dia, her main duties now as the new reina is to promote the rich and historic hispanic culture, all while advocating for her home country, too.
“I’m so excited for what the organization has in store for me. I know that’s traveling around different Latin American countries, promoting Hispanic culture. And I get to promote my Filipino culture, which is almost the same as Latinos, and other than that I am going to continue my music career in the Philippines and hopefully spread it to Latin America as well.” – Rappler.com