Jobless man in Manila claims Php75 million lottery jackpot

Manila :A jobless man from Quezon City and a father-and-son from Laguna bagged the jackpots in two different Lotto draws, and had claimed their prize money, the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced in Mandaluyong City Wednesday.

The first winner is a 49-year-old man from Novaliches, Quezon City (a suburb of Manila), who claimed the Php75.2 million (about Dh5 million, $1.5 million) jackpot for the Grand Lotto 6/55 with six-digit winning combo number 09-08-05-01-30-52 on March 1, 2023.

The man, who has been playing Lotto for over 25 years, believes that everyone's lucky moment will arrive at the right time.

He had been working as a part-time a waiter, and often as a dishwasher.But since the pay was not enough, he quit his job, hoping to find another one. The man’s identity was withheld for security reasons.

The man said he always believed in the lottery because he had won five digits twice. He added that he often could not buy a ticket because he does not have the budget, but then he never lost hope.

“I know that one day luck would come,” local media quoted him as saying. When asked what he intended to do with his winnings, he said he would put up a business, buy land, and help his relatives.

Birth dates, ages combined

Meanwhile, a father-and-son from San Pablo, Laguna, also claimed their prize on March 1 after winning the MegaLotto 6/45 jackpot prize of Php11.6 million drawn on February 27.

The winning numbers 25-4-11-35-15-09 were a combination of their family members' birth dates and ages.

“I went to the Plaza, I bought the ticket at 1 pm. And then when I returned to my car at about 3 pm, I bet on the same number again. When I got home, I gave it to [my son] and said, 'If we win, let's split it'," the 64-year-old father was quoted by the Philippine News Agency as saying.

He added that he strongly believed in the good fortune written on his horoscope for this year.

"My horoscope said 2023 is a year of abundance for all those born in 1959 and there is a big chance to get rich this year, so I just bet on the lottery,"

When asked about their plans on their winnings, the son said in Filipino which roughly translates to: “No plans yet at this time, we’ll save it first. We are going to deposit it in the bank because Daddy is leaving this April. He and Mommy will visit my siblings in Canada. Maybe when they return next year, we will think about what to do with the money, but basically, it is for our family's future."

“For more than 30 years of my betting, you (PCSO) made me a millionaire. Now I believe that it is true that someone wins the jackpot. I used to have doubts but here I am, holding the check, proof that I have won. Thanks to our Lord," the father said.

About 30 per cent of the PCSO revenues go to the different charitable programs of the agency, such as the Medical Access Program, Calamity Fund, and the Patient Vehicle Donation Program.

In 2019, former President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the shutdown of over 30,000 gaming outlets, citing “massive corruption”.

He ordered the police and military to shut down all lotteries and gaming activities run by the PCSO, accusing the agency of corruption.

In 2018, the PCSO earned Php63.56 billion ($1.24 billion) from all its gaming activities in 2018.