Ticket bought in Bicol bags P150-million lotto pot

A ticket-holder in the 6/49 Super Lotto won the second biggest prize in the lottery’s history, ending two months of luckless draws that had Filipinos lining up at betting stations nationwide.

The winning ticket that netted a cool P150 million was bought in Bicol, according to officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). The pot was next only to the P202-million jackpot won by six winners in October 2002.

PCSO chairman Sergio Valencia said yesterday that the lucky ticket was purchased at a lotto outlet in Daet, Camarines Norte registered under the name of Christine Leaño.

"We have a single winner who, maybe, is a Bicolano. The jackpot prize reached P150,478,099.20 tax-free. This is our second biggest.  We now have a new millionaire," Valencia told The STAR.

The winning combination was 18-11-41-43-6-47, said Arnel Casas, PCSO assistant department manager for central operations for online sector.

As of press time yesterday, however, no one had come forward to claim the prize, Valencia said.

"The winner must come to PCSO head office to claim the prize. We’ll issue a check (that can be encashed either at the Land Bank (of the Philippines) or PNB (Philippine National Bank). It’s a one-time full payment," he said.

The prize gets forfeited if not claimed within one year after the draw.

But according to Casas: "I have advance information that the winner went to our provincial district office in Daet and may claim his winnings from the PCSO main office anytime."

Casas noted the jackpot prize had eluded bettors for almost two months. 

It started with the minimum P8 million prize in Nov. 24 last year and eventually built up to over P150 million.

The growing prize drew millions of Filipinos to every lotto station across the country, all in the hope of becoming an instant millionaire. 

According to Casas, the biggest jackpot prize for Super Lotto was P202 million, which was won by six bettors on Oct. 17, 2002.

"Eto pa lang iyung walang kahati (This was the first time the prize was not shared)," PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte said, as he gave some advice on what the winner should do with the pot: "Keep it in a bank while thinking of a good investment."

With the jackpot prize already won, Super Lotto will start again with the minimum guaranteed prize of P8 million in a draw on Thursday. — Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe