New college grad claims P43-M lotto prize

MANILA, Philippines - Only days after receiving her college diploma, a 21-year-old woman claimed Friday the P43-million jackpot of the 6/45 Mega Lotto’s March 18 draw, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced yesterday.

The winner hit the winning combination, 11-16-21-03-08-29, by using her siblings’ birthdates, PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II.

He said the winner plans to buy a house, share her prize with her siblings and build a row of apartments they can rent out.

Rojas said the winner told him that on March 16, she passed by a lotto outlet in Taguig City to place a bet – something she has been doing for five years – and asked the teller for a 6/42 card, but got instead a 6/45 card. She was about to ask the teller to hand her the correct card, but changed her mind.

“A guardian angel whispered in my ear. If I (did get the correct card), I may have regretted it for the rest of my life,” the winner told Rojas as she received her check.