Coming into the show as a beauty queen, Dia Mate discovered that she could shine just as brightly as a performer, and that her confidence had even more room to grow "na mas kabog at mas fierce."
And nothing says fierce quite like the aura of Barbadian superstar Rihanna, her chosen icon for “Your Face Sounds Familiar: The Grand Showdown.” The studio was left jaw-dropped the moment Dia stepped out of the iconator, as she had perfectly recreated Rihanna's face and look from a 2006 fashion show performance of "Diamonds."
In that particular show, Rihanna kept her movements minimal, but mentor Nyoy Volante coached Dia not to read minimalism as a weakness. The power of the performance, he said, lies in being intentional and commanding, which is a natural to Dia.
As a beauty queen, she's no stranger to walking tall as if she's always wearing an invisible crown. But even she didn't know another level of confidence was waiting for her on "Your Face Sounds Familiar."
"Dati, super kaba ako everytime nasa iconizer ako. I was never comfortable on stage. I would always question myself, 'Kaya ko ba 'to?' Kasi hindi ko kayang mag-impersonate... Pero as the show went on, I've gotten more comfortable with what I'm doing, with my performances and I'm so happy to be here in this show," she said after her finale act.
Even guest juror Karla Estrada could attest to how far Dia had come compared to the first time she watched her perform. "Baunin mo 'to, Dia, at sa kung saan ka man pupunta, doon madadagdagan ang 'yong tagumpay," Karla said.
As mentor and guest juror Klarisse De Guzman put it, Dia is the show's most legit ‘transformation’ who took a full leap from doubtful to fearless. "From our first mentoring na no'ng una parang hindi mo pa nga alam kung paano ba mag-impersonate, kinakabahan ka," Klarisse recalled. "But, tingnan mo naman 'yung sarili mo ngayon, Dia, grabe na 'yung presence mo, grabe na 'yung confidence mo. At nkaka-proud na 'yun."
“You really did shine like a diamond," Ogie Alacasid remarked. For Gary Valenciano, Dia is more than just a beautiful face—she carries talent and a personality that Gary was grateful to witness, as Dia gave herself the space to explore.
Whether she's channeling a diva or a pop star, the judges keep coming back to the same thing—Dia's face card. Everytime she transforms, the visuals alone are already a win, which is exactly why she was presented with the 'Plakadong Face Card' Award, handed to her by former celebrity performer Pepe Herrera.
Tomorrow, April 12, the "Your Face Sounds Familiar" Season 4 Grand Champion will finally be crowned. Catch the finale episode on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and iWant.