Single mom from South Cotabato wins P14M lotto jackpot prize

MANILA, Philippines – A single mother from South Cotabato need not worry now for her daughter’s future as she took home the jackpot prize of more than P14 million in last week’s 6/45 draw.

The 30-year-old agronomist, who makes a living by providing inputs in soil management and field crop production for farmers, got exactly P14,405,816 after she correctly picked the Feb. 11 Mega Lotto’s winning combination of 10-29-26-17-11-07.

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) acting chair and general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said the lone winner has been playing the national lottery for a decade. He added that the winner, who only bought two tickets, got her lucky combination from the birth dates of her 5-year-old daughter, nieces and other relatives.

When she claimed her prize at the PCSO’s head office in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, she told Rojas that she would use her winnings to secure her daughter’s future. She added that she would also share a portion to her parents and siblings, and donate some to the local church.

Meanwhile, Rojas said that the agency started releasing since Tuesday funds amounting to P87.5 million, which served as the revenue shares of the metro local government units for hosting lotto outlets in their area, and the endowment fund for hospitals and partner institutions of the agency.

Of this amount, P75.62 million is allocated to the 17 metro LGUs, which host 2,045 PCSO lotto outlets. Receiving the highest share is Quezon City (P18.17 million), followed by Manila (P14.57 million), Parañaque (P4.84 million), Caloocan (P4.63 million) and Pasig (P4.47 million).

Under Executive Order No. 357, s. 1996, “5 percent of the PCSO charity fund,” which is 30 percent of the agency’s lotto net sales, “is granted to LGUs where lotto outlets are located.”

Rojas said “the more lotto outlets there are in an area, the higher the corresponding LGU shares.” Hence, he called on the local governments “to host PCSO’s outlets so that they can avail [themselves] of the LGU shares that they may use for their area’s social programs.”

The agency’s 11 partner institutions and hospitals nationwide on the other hand would be receiving fund support totaling P11.88 million. Among them are Tondo Medical Center and Davao Regional Hospital, which will each receive P2.5 million, and JR Borja General Hospital, South Cotabato Provincial Hospital and Misamis Occidental Provincial Hospital, which will each get P1 million.

Institutional partners Philippine Band of Mercy will receive P1 million, Bacolod Boys Home Foundation will get P406,125 and Por Cristo Foundation Inc., P270,570.

Rojas called for support for the agency’s games, especially the new Ultra Lotto 6/58, so the public can “help their fellow Filipinos around the country,” while also getting the opportunity to become millionaires.