Unemployed Filipina in UAE Clears All Debts After Life-Changing Dh20 Million Big Ticket Win

Bernadetta Azucena had recently resigned from her position as a secretary, leaving her mother deeply worried about her future and employment status. However, on Saturday night, she received life-changing news: she won Dh20 million in the latest Big Ticket draw.

Living in Ajman, the 42-year-old Filipina is part of a group that regularly purchases tickets, rotating the name used for each draw. “This is God's perfect timing,” Ms Azucena told her mother upon learning of the massive jackpot.

Currently in the Philippines after traveling home for surgery on September 30, Ms Azucena stated that her immediate priority is to clear all financial liabilities. “We have loans to pay off. I want to pay the mortgage on our house here in the Philippines, which is still nine years away from completion. We also have a car loan in the UAE,” she shared with The National.

Ms Azucena and her husband, Noriel Azucena, 44, also intend to secure the future of their 15-year-old daughter, who is in Grade 10. “We will definitely invest towards our daughter's future,” she noted, adding that they have not yet informed their daughter about the windfall.

The journey to this moment involved a dramatic middle-of-the-night awakening. Ms Azucena was asleep in the Philippines when her husband received the confirmation and woke her at about 1am. “He told me to sit down and breathe, and then he told me that we had won,” she recalled. “I honestly thought I was still dreaming.”

The couple has participated in the Big Ticket draw since 2017 alongside a group of friends. According to Mr Azucena, members contribute what they can, and the winning ticket this time happened to be registered under his wife's name.

The windfall arrives during an emotionally challenging period. Ms Azucena had traveled home after injuring her right arm in a roadside accident, which complicated her ability to work and write. While the couple initially planned for her to undergo hand surgery in the Philippines, the jackpot win has prompted them to postpone the procedure as she prepares to return.

Despite the staggering Dh20 million windfall, the Azucenas confirmed they have no plans to stop participating in the Big Ticket draws.