MANILA, Philippines — A father and retired employee from Quezon City finally claimed his P339-million jackpot prize in the Ultra Lotto 6/58 draw last Sept. 6, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said yesterday.
PCSO general manager Royina Garma personally handed over the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) check to the lone jackpot winner, who requested that the date of his appearance to claim the prize be kept secret.
A senior citizen and father of several children, the winner also wanted the barest details about him divulged to the public for his family’s safety.
However, a photo of him – his face blurred out – receiving the check from Garma surfaced on social media.
Garma said the winning ticket was bought at a lotto outlet in Quezon City, where the man placed his bet on the number combination 18-19-28-09-01-11, which won the jackpot of exactly P339,217,037.60.
The prize was automatically deducted of 20 percent tax in accordance with the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
The PCSO quoted the winner as saying that he had been betting on the same number combination for more than 20 years.
He told Garma that his cash prize is an answer to his desire to ensure the education of his children and give them a better future.
Garma said 57 other bettors won P120,000 each for guessing five of the six-digit winning combination in the same draw.