A 50-year-old street vendor from Muntinlupa City has become the latest Filipino millionaire after winning the P25,111,918.20 jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) MegaLotto draw held on 15 December.

The winner, who has been playing lotto since the inception of PCSO’s lotto games, claimed his prize at the PCSO Main Office in Mandaluyong City. His winning combination — 10-21-23-30-01-15 — was based on the birthdays of his family members.

For decades, the winner earned a modest living selling vegetables beside a public market. He recalled struggling at times to raise capital for his small stall, even borrowing money just to keep his business afloat.

“Kahit papano’y nakakaraos naman po sa pang-araw-araw,” he said.

The vendor also shared that he did not immediately inform his wife about the life-changing win. Instead, he told her he was stepping out to look for P500 as additional capital for his livelihood.

“Hindi po niya alam na kukubra na pala ako ng lotto,” he said with a smile.

The newly minted millionaire said he plans to use his winnings prudently. His top priority is to invest in a permanent market space to secure a more stable source of income for his family. He also intends to save part of the money and ensure that his family’s daily needs are consistently met.