Bernadette Azucena, a Filipino resident of Ajman, won the Dh20 million Big Ticket prize while in the Philippines for surgery and recovery. The prize will be shared among her and 21 relatives and friends.

Azucena had worked in the UAE since 2016, most recently as a secretary. After her employment contract ended and she injured her right hand in a roadside accident, she returned to the Philippines on September 30 for surgery.

She said the injury made it difficult for her to work or even write. Her husband decided to send her home for treatment because no one in the UAE was available to care for her during her recovery.

The winning ticket was purchased by a group of 22 relatives and friends who have jointly entered the Big Ticket draw since 2017. Group members take turns choosing the ticket, and this time the winning entry was registered in Azucena’s name.

However, the Dh20 million prize does not belong to one person and will be divided among all 22 members of the group.

Azucena was asleep thousands of kilometres away in the Philippines when draw organisers called. The draw took place at around 1am Philippine time, and she initially could not believe the news from her husband.

“When my husband told me during a video call that we had won, I couldn’t believe it,” the 42-year-old said. “I thought I was dreaming. I even asked him to show me the video because I was still confused and couldn’t believe what had happened.”

She said that when she finally spoke to Big Ticket officials, she was so shocked and excited that she even gave the wrong number of group members.

“At first, I said our group had 10 to 12 members, but then I realised there were actually 22 of us,” Azucena added. “At that moment, I felt as though I couldn’t hear properly or understand what they were saying.”

She said each member of the group has different financial challenges and responsibilities, and the prize could help them repay debts, provide better opportunities for their children and build a more secure future.

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Azucena plans to use her share of the prize primarily to pay off her family’s mortgage and car loan.

“We still have nine years left on our mortgage, and we plan to clear it along with the car loan,” she said. “Another major priority is saving for our daughter’s future.”

Despite the major win, Azucena has no plans to leave her life in the UAE. She said she would return to the country after fully recovering from surgery, while her husband continues to work there.

The winning ticket was purchased under a 2+4 promotional offer, with six group members involved in selecting the numbers. The winning number was chosen by one of those six members.

Even after winning AED 20 million, the group has no plans to stop taking part in the Big Ticket draw.

Azucena said stories of people winning draws two or even three times had encouraged the group members to continue trying their luck.

She had previously won prizes in smaller draws, including a gold coin, an AED 250 shopping voucher, AED 500 in cash and a shopping mall prize worth AED 10,000.

Azucena said the latest prize was her biggest win to date, although the money will be shared among 22 people and, in her words, “will change 22 lives for the better.”

Big Ticket website