MANILA, Philippines — So, you want to be a millionaire?
Then surely, on the 89th draw this Saturday, Nov. 13, of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's (PCSO) Grand Lotto 6/55, you will be one of the many millions of Filipinos – the poor and even the rich – competing and hoping to beat the odds of one-in-28.9 million to win PCSO's whopping jackpot, which is expected to reach P408 million even more.
Richmond Romerosa, 30, a security guard, of Montalban, Rizal, and Tess Olarte, 60, want to be a millionaire. They were among the early birds who responded Friday to the PCSO call.
PCSO Chairperson Margarita P. Juico told the Manila Bulletin Friday the PCSO leadership was very glad because of the increasing popularity of the lotto games.
Her message to the public: For the Saturday draw of Grand Lotto, Juico hopes that there would be at least 100 winners to spread happiness on Christmas.
“The popularity of the lotto games shows the trust PCSO has earned from Filipinos. We in the PCSO welcome this because it means more earnings and more assistance for indigents and more hospitals to be given help,” the PCSO top official said.
Romerosa said if he wins, his first buy would be a house and lot.
Olarte, sent by her husband Tony, said she has not decided yet in case she wins Grand Lotto this Saturday.
They bought their advance Grand Lotto tickets yesterday at about 10:30 a.m. just as a lotto outlet opened at the Ever-Gotesco Shopping Mall, on Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City.
How can Romerosa and Olarte as well as the millions of Filipinos not hope to hit the lotto jackpots when the PCSO has again added one more multi-millionaire to the growing ranks of lotto patrons who beat overwhelming odds as shown by a lone winner in the Thursday draw of Super Lotto 6/49.
PCSO's acting Assistant General Manager for On-Line Lottery Liza Gabuyo said a lone player who bought the ticket in Amoranto, Quezon City, with the winning combination – 10-32-22-27-36-16 – grabbed the P46,934,784 jackpot.
As of press time, Gabuyo said the new millionaire has yet to show up to claim the prize at PCSO's new headquarters at the Secretariat Building of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
From Oct. 25 to Nov. 11, the PCSO's lottery draws succumbed to seven patrons already: Oct. 25 (Megalotto) had one winner; Oct. 26 (Super Lotto) with one, Oct. 29 (Megalotto) two; Oct. 30 (6/42) one; Nov. 6 (Lotto 64/42) also one; and Nov. 11 (6/49) one. The seven new millionaires total winnings amounted to P257,423,234.
Since April 19, 2010 when it replaced the unpopular Power Lotto, Grand Lotto yielded only once on its 10th draw on May 12, with the winner getting P134,629,873.20. The prize consisted of Power Lotto's remaining P101 million prize and Grand Lotto's P30 million start up.
This Saturday's projected over P408 million pot is a roll-over since May 15 starting at P30 million, which increases every time there is no winner.
For every peso bet – Grand Lotto ticket is P20 – 30 centavos are added to the Prize Fund. The rest of ticket sales go to Charity Fund (55 percent) and Operating Fund (15 percent).
Unofficial figures since 2005 to July 2010 put the total number of lotto winners at 1,520 for a combined jackpot winnings of P26,328,480,818.
Edd Usman, Manila Bulletin
