Described as a lottery addict by his Spanish biographer, Dr. Jose Rizal actually won the lottery while he was living in exile in Dapitan in 1892.
Rizal bought a third of Lottery Ticket No. 9736, jointly owning it with Dapitan Gov. Ricardo Carnicero and Francisco Equilor, a Spanish resident in Dipolog.
The ticket hit the second prize of P20,000 in the government-run Manila Lottery. Rizal’s share amounted to at least P6,000.
Rizal invested a huge part of his winnings in properties in Talisay, Dapitan, where he engaged in the abaca business and ran a school. He also opened a store there.
After Rizal’s execution in 1896, the Spanish government confiscated his Talisay properties and entrusted them to a custodian.
In 1913, the Talisay estate was converted into a park dedicated to the memory of Rizal. A decree converted the park into Rizal Shrine. Another decree classified it as a national shrine. Inquirer Research
Sources: Inquirer Archives; dapitancity.gov.ph; PCSO