P571M jackpot winner says PCSO draws real

MANILA – A lone winner from Albay who bagged the P571-M jackpot prize of the Ultra Lotto 6/58 drawn last Friday, claimed the winnings on Tuesday.

The winner who correctly guessed the winning combination 19-35-25-42-58-05, later declared that PCSO games and draws were real and authentic.

"Ang masasabi ko lang sa mga nagsasabi na hindi totoo ang mga nanalo sa Lotto ay nagkakamali po kayo," the bettor said.

(All I can say to those who say that Lotto winners are fake is that you are wrong.)

"Kailangan niyo tumaya para malaman niyo na totoo ang lotto."

(You have to bet to know that the lottery is real.)

The new multi-millionaire plans to put the winnings into savings and give a portion to charity.

The winner had been betting regularly on the Scratch It games for the past four years.

But it was only the second time that the winner placed a bet on PCSO lotto draws using a lucky pick betting system.

The bettor confessed that the huge prize offered under "Handog Pakabog" prompted her to try her luck on the 6/58 lottery.

She claimed the winnings at the PCSO Main Office two days into 2024.

To recall, the PCSO hiked the minimum guaranteed jackpot for the Ultra Lotto 6/58 and Grand Lotto 6/55 to guaranteed P500 million each on December 16, 2023, in line with the agency's "Handog Pakabog" Christmas draws.

General Manager Melquiades Robles said this is to show the PCSO's gratitude to lotto patrons during the Yuletide season.

The jackpot prize for 6/55, which is now at P574 million, remains up for grabs.

Under the TRAIN Law, winnings over P10,000 is subject to a 20 percent tax, which will be automatically deducted from the total prize.