First winner of new P50-M Lotto game ‘Yolanda’ victim

HIS LUCK hasn’t run out.

First, he survived the strongest typhoon to hit land unscathed. Now he has won the lottery and is by P50 million richer.

When the family and house of this Leyte government employee were spared from the wrath of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in November 2013 even if most of the communities in the Eastern Visayas region were devastated, he counted himself lucky.

But as it turned out, he was just starting a lucky streak. Last week, he became the first winner of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) newest game—Ultra Lotto 6/58—taking home the jackpot of P50 million.

Correct combination

According to PCSO acting chair and general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, the 59-yearold was the lone winner who correctly picked the winning combination 05-16-17-47-53- 58 in the Feb. 22 draw.

Ultra Lotto held its first draw on Feb. 8, and it took only five draws for a winner to take home the minimum guaranteed jackpot.

Rojas said the winner, who has been playing the lottery for two decades, randomly picked the numbers and shelled out P80 for four bets.

Invest in business

The new millionaire has no plans of retiring just yet from the government service, he told Rojas when he claimed his prize at the PCSO head office in Mandaluyong City on Thursday.

The father of six, who asked that his hometown not be revealed for security reasons, said he plans to set aside his winnings for his children’s future.

He said he and his wife would set up a business in the province to help boost the local economy, which has yet to fully recover more than a year after Yolanda. He said he still had to decide what business to invest in.