P294M to city bettor

CEBU, Philippines - The lone winner of the P294,602,336 jackpot of the Philippine Sweepstakes Charity Office’s Grand Lotto 6/55 bought his ticket in a lotto outlet in Sitio Pit-os, Barangay Talamban, before the Saturday draw.

PCSO Visayas-Mindanao officer-in-charge Federico Damole said as of yesterday the winner has not claimed the prize yet.

“So far, wala pa ma-claim ang prize. Since dako na ang amount, adto gyud na sa Manila kuhaon ang prize,” Damole said.

But before the winner can claim the prize at their head office, he or she has to go first to their office in Cebu for confirmation, Damole said.

Damole said that so far the amount is the biggest amount won with a ticket bought in Cebu.

The winning number combination was 8-42-35-11-17-22. PSCO Grand Lotto 6/55 draws are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night.

According to PCSO’s website, for only P20, a bettor may win if he or she matches 6 or any 5, 4, or 3 numbers of the winning 6-number draw combination.

PCSO said that prizes amounting to P5,000 and below can be claimed at any authorized lotto outlet or at the PCSO Provincial District Offices in the area where the bettor won.

Prizes worth more than P5,000 to P20,000 can be claimed at any of the PCSO Branch Offices or at the PCSO Head Office, PICC Secretariat Building, CCP Complex, 1307 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

In the case of the jackpot prize, PCSO said should the winner should be validated and claim the winnings at their head office. PCSO Cebu branch manager Glenn Jesus Rada said the winner of the Saturday jackpot has already left for Manila.

PCSO has a mission to generate funds for health programs and charities of national character through charity sweepstakes races, lotteries and other similar activities.

It has a vision that by 2016, the agency will be generating an annual gross income of P100 billion and providing timely and responsive health and welfare-related assistance to every municipality. —/BRP (FREEMAN)