Life begins at 40–as a millionaire–for family driver in Cavite

FOR A FAMILY driver from Cavite province, life—at least, the life of a millionaire—begins at 40.

The unnamed father of two was the sole bettor who had the winning number combination in the Grand Lotto 6/55 draw of Jan. 30 to claim the P159-million jackpot prize.

The winning combination he picked was 06-25-17-09-14-12. His prize: P159,247,240.

When the winner claimed his prize at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) head office in Mandaluyong City last Wednesday, he told the PCSO vice chair and general manager, Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, that he came up with the winning numbers from the birth dates of his family.

The winner, who bought three tickets, said he had been playing the lotto the past two decades.

House and lot, too

Rojas said the winner had quit his job as a family driver so he and his wife could focus on a taxi business.

The new millionaire told Rojas that apart from investing his prize in a business, he plans to buy a new house and lot for his family.

He will also donate a portion of his winnings to a local church and save the rest for his children’s future.

Rojas said he was glad that another lotto player’s life had been changed by a PCSO game.

Biggest winner

“We’re happy in the PCSO that we were able to help fulfill the dreams of one of our countrymen through the lotto. We hope the winner could also extend help to those in need,” Rojas said in a statement Tuesday.

The PCSO is running five games that give players a chance to win at least P6 million every night.

They are the Lotto 6/42 (P6 million), Mega Lotto 6/45 (P9 million), Super Lotto 6/49 (P16 million), Grand Lotto 6/55 (P30 million), and the newest Ultra Lotto 6/58 (50 million).

In November 2010, a 60-year-old balikbayan from New York became the agency’s biggest winner when he took home the P741-million Grand Lotto jackpot prize.

This year, six players have already become multimillionaires because of the lotto. The six winners’ prizes amount to more than P461 million.

1 year to claim

Rojas also reminded unidentified Manila and Baguio lotto players who recently won P56.4 million and P7 million, respectively, that they have only one year to claim their prizes before the money is reverted to the PCSO’s charity fund.

The charity fund supports the agency’s individual medical assistance program, which disburses an average of P18 million to indigent patients.