Sidewalk vendor wins P18M lotto prize

A 54-year-old female sidewalk vendor from Parañaque City will no longer have to play cat-and-mouse with the authorities while selling her wares  after she won over P18 million in last Wednesday’s 6/45 Mega Lotto draw.

According to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, the winner, who is single, plans to spend part of her prize to put up a grocery.

“She’s (literally) expanding her business and she said she intends to buy a house and lot,” said Rojas, adding that the lucky bettor went to the PCSO office at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City last Friday to claim her P18,376,725.60 prize.

The lucky bettor paid P60 for lotto tickets that contained the winning combination 23-13-10-37-35-19. She placed her bet at a lotto outlet in Upper Bicutan, Taguig, where she also sells her wares, the PCSO said.

The bettor, who under lottery rules is never identified for security reasons, hit the jackpot after a year of regularly buying tickets and consistently placing bets on her favorite number combinations, it added.

“Inaalagaan talaga niya yung numbers na yon (she really nursed those numbers). And now her persistence has paid off and it was definitely worth the wait,” Rojas added.

Another bettor also became an instant millionaire after winning the June 23 Lotto 6/42 draw.

The PCSO said the lone winner hit the jackpot of PP18,860,232.60 after correctly guessing the winning combination of  14-30-07-13-42-29. Tina G. Santos