Lotto winner from Samar borrowed money to travel to Manila, claim jackpot

One of the two winners of the 6/58 Ultra Lotto jackpot prize claimed his money this week, but only after he borrowed money to pay for his fare from Samar to Manila.

“He was male who hails from Samar. He claimed his prize of P472 million last Tuesday. Nanghiram nga lang siya ng pamasahe para makapunta rito [sa Maynila],” Florante Solmerin, PCSO Deputy Spokesperson, told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

“Nagsama lang siya ng isang relative. Kapag malakihan [ang napanalunang jackpot], 'di nagtatagal, nake-claim agad. Minsan one to two weeks kung galing probinsya, pero within days lang kapag andito sa Metro Manila,” Solmerin added.

The other winner is from Albay and the PCSO has yet to receive word if the other winner has already claimed the prize.

Winners have at least a year from winning to claim their prize. Once that window time expires, unclaimed prizes will go to the charity fund of the PCSO.

Solmerin said as much as P2.5 billion total worth of prizes could be unclaimed in a year. — MDM, GMA News