The Philippine Online Chronicles

The sole winner of the P741.17 million jackpot of the November 29 draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's (PCSO) Grand Lotto 6/55 finally came forward to collect his prize last week, ending speculation as to who had won the biggest lottery prize in the country.

"The PCSO leadership led by Chairperson Margie P. Juico is glad and relieved that he has come forward,” said PCSO-Publicity and Public Relations Department Manager Manuel "Manny" Garcia on Friday.

“Wild speculations and attempts to claim the Grand Lotto jackpot of P741.17 million will now stop,” he added.

The winner has been reported to be a 60-year-old balikbayan working as an architect for an interior design company in New York City. He supposedly bought five lotto tickets while he and his family were shopping at the Royal Duty Free at the Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City.

“He actually looked very relaxed,” said Juico. “He looked like he’s just a simple man, like a good and prayerful man. But when he spoke, I noted that he had a twang. Then he said he’s a balikbayan, and that he and his family had just come home for a reunion.”

“He said they were doing a sort of a sentimental journey,” Juico added. “He said they went to Quezon province and he even prayed at the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church in Lucban. But he said he did not particularly [pray to win] the lotto.”

It took the winner a week before he realized he had won the jackpot.

“He said he just kept his ticket, unsigned,” said Juico. “But when his family heard that the winner had placed his bet in Olongapo, which was also one of the places they had been to, they prodded him to get it and check if he had won.”

“He was a bit lazy to do so at first,” she said. “But when he found that he had won, he kept on shouting and thanking God.”

The winner went to the PCSO head office at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) together with three of his relatives, and presented his driver's license and California ID as well as the winning lotto ticket to claim the prize.

According to Juico, the winner requested that the lump sum be divided into two checks, which he then deposited in the bank inside the PCSO. The winner intends on returning to New York with 50% of the winnings, but will eventually retire to the Philippines to live off the other 50%.