Retiree wins P49-M pot for 14 kids

Now he can have his own farm. But more than that, he can now comfortably support his 14 children.

He is 73 and retired and he won the more than P49 million jackpot prize in the Jan. 23 drawing of Lotto 6/42.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) does not identify lotto winners.

But PCSO Vice Chair Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said the country’s newest millionaire was from South Cotabato province.

He said the winner was the sole player to get the winning combination 04-12-19-25-29-35 right.

The winner took home a total of P49,562,348, Rojas said.

He said the winner collected the prize at the PCSO head office in Mandaluyong City on Monday.

Rojas said the winner told him that he was an avid lotto player and that he had been playing the lottery for nearly two decades before his patience paid off.

‘Answered prayer’

The winner bought three tickets and randomly picked the combinations, Rojas said.

“I tried my luck in the lottery because I have a lot of kids. It may have taken a while but this is really an answered prayer,” Rojas quoted the winner as telling him.

Rojas said the winner and his wife are now planning to buy a farm and farming equipment and support the education and future needs of their 14 children.

They will also save some for their future needs, he said.