pasig

PASIG CITY, Philippines – For 53-year-old Juanita, a hardworking canteen employee who earns just enough to get by, buying a Scratchit ticket was a rare luxury.

But on July 8, 2025, the decision to purchase tickets, almost an afterthought, gave her a much-needed lifeline when she scratched her way to a P77,777 win.

Juanita, a soft-spoken woman who spent years preparing meals for others, still can’t quite believe her fortune. She said seeing the winning numbers felt unreal, especially since life has not given her many favors. She even asked the Scratchit distributor to confirm her win.

The winning ticket, bought at the Capitol Lotto outlet in Pasig, carried a prize of P77,777—a number that now feels like fate. While she’s fatalistic, life made her a realist. And things like these don’t happen to people like her.

A welcome lifeline

For Juanita, who earns minimum wage, the prize money is more than just luck—it’s a rope extended when she most needed it.

“Hindi madali ang buhay ngayon,” she confesses, her voice tinged with both weariness and gratitude. “Yung kinikita ko, halos pambayad lang ng bills at pagkain. Minsan, kapag may sobra, saka lang ako nakakabili ng Scratchit (Life isn’t easy these days. What I earn barely covers bills and food. Sometimes, if there’s extra, that’s when I buy Scratchit tickets).”

Her immediate plan for the winnings is practical: she will use it to buy maintenance medicines. “Kahit papaano, may pangtustos na ako (Now, at least, I have something to cover the cost),” she says.

A message of hope

Despite her struggles, Juanita’s win has rekindled a sense of hope—not just for herself, but for others like her. She encourages fellow Filipinos to try their luck, too.

“Bumili din kayo ng Scratchit tickets,” she says, her eyes twinkling. “Malay n’yo, baka kayo din ang susunod na manalo (You should also buy Scratchit tickets. Who knows, you might be the next winner).”

“Salamat, Scratchit. Salamat sa pangalawang pag-asa (Thank you, Scratchit. Thank you for this second hope).”