MANILA, Philippines — A financially struggling senior citizen selling fruits in Jolo, Sulu became an instant multimillionaire when he hit the Mega Lotto 6/45 jackpot last Jan. 19.
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said the man claimed the prize of P16,186,700 for correctly guessing the winning combination 12-33-32-17-08-11.
According to the PCSO, the man told them that the numbers came in an extraordinary way – through a dream where he saw his late wife giving him the numbers.
Driven by hope, he placed a bet the following day at a nearby lotto outlet.
He reportedly said he rarely played the lotto as he struggled to make ends meet.
The vendor said he recently lost his capital when a batch of fruits rotted, plunging him into debt.
He plans to invest some of his winnings and save the rest for the future.