OFW wins in UAE raffle, plans to open apartment rentals back home

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) employed as an IT technician won AED333,333 – the equivalent of P4.54 million – in the latest weekly raffle draw here where nine OFWs have already won big.

“Allan,” who hails from Batangas and has been in Dubai since 2004, said he’ll clean off his debts and invest in apartment rentals back home.

Interviewed by GMA News Online a few days after the raffle draw company announced the winner, Allan, 36, said he was still in disbelief.

“Tina-try kong maging normal lang. Hindi pa nagsi-sink in [I'm trying to be normal, it has yet to sink in],” he said.

“Babayaran ko mga utang ko at mag-set aside ng fund para sa education ng dalawang anak ko,” Allan added. “Salamat talaga kay Lord. Napaka-lucky natin, tayo ang napili.”

(I intend to pay all my debts and set aside fund for the education of my two kids. I'm really thankful to the Lord.)

Allan said he will be investing in real estate. “Lote na patayuan ng paupahang apartments [Lots for apartment rentals,” he said.

His two kids, a 13-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl, were thrilled that he won and have already preparing for a vacation in Dubai.

Allan said he has been joining the raffle since it began in November 2020. He said he was watching TV one evening when a thought came up: "Nakalimutan ko, hindi pa pala ako nakapag-enter ng draw. So, pi-nause ko yung TV; may nakita akong numbers dun sa ibaba – yung time, minutes at iba pa. Yun ang pinasok kong combination,” he said.

(I realized I haven't joined the raffle yet. So I paused the TV, and then I saw numbers on the screen -- the time, minutes and others. Those became my combination.)

Allan said he used to enter number combinations of special dates.

Allan is the ninth Filipino to have won big in the raffle draw in just a span of three months. The weekly live draw is organized by Mahzooz, an Arabic word for “fortunate” or “lucky.” Participants need only to purchase a bottled water for AED35 to enter one number combination. The purchase of the bottled water is donated to community outreach programs.

Allan won with two other winners: an Indian and a Jordanian national. They split the AED1 million prize. Two OFWs have each won AED1 million – 38-year-old “Roland” of Pangasinan who works as a bakeshop delivery van driver in Abu Dhabi; and 33-year-old “Antonio,” a gym staff from Cebu. Both won in June.  —KBK, GMA News