Pinay chef with a vow to donate to charity if she wins, bags AED100,000 in latest UAE draw

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A single mother, working as chef here, was the latest Filipino to win in the Mahzooz weekly draw, bagging AED100,000 (approximately P1.6 million) – a part of which, she said, will be used to finish work on her house under construction and donate to a charity group for persons with disabilities back home.

“Masaya siyempre. Ilang years ko ring pag-iipunan (yung ganung halaga pero) instant na andyan na,” 43-year-old “Carrol,” who hails from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu in central Philippines, told GMA News Online.

“Saka…nag-pledge ako na once na manalo ako, magdo-donate ako sa charity para sa mga PWD po sa Pilipinas,” Carrol, who’s making around AED6,000 a month in her job, added.

[I’m happy, of course. I don’t know how long will it take me to raise such fund, but right now, it’s here. I’ve pledged that once I win, I will donate to a charity institution helping PWDs in the Philippines.]

Carrol said she will start a business in the Philippines. She also expressed relief that she’d finally be able to finish construction of her house back there.

“Kasalukuyang pinapagawa  ko yung bahay. Patapos na po; interior na lang ang kulang,” she said. [The house construction is nearing completion, only the interior is being attended to.]

Carrol, who arrived in Dubai on March 30, 2010, said she started participating in the Mahzooz draw in May last year. Mahzooz has been in operation for the past two years.

“On and off ang pagtaya ko. In total, mga 20 beses pa lang ako nakataya,” she said. 

[I’ve been betting on and off, so far around 20 times only.]

Carrol was among three participants who won AED100,000 each – Lourans from Syria and Sehrish from Pakistan, according to Mahzooz.

Aside from them, Mahzooz said that up to  67 participants matched four out of five numbers and shared the second prize of AED 1,000,000 securing AED 14,925 each; while 2,969 other winners matched three out of five numbers and received the third prize of AED 350 each.

Participating in Mahzooz is easy as all the entrants must do is register via www.mahzooz.ae and purchase a bottle of water for AED 35.

Mahzooz has launched a limited time offer, where each bottle purchased qualifies  participants for a two-line entry instead of one. This doubles their chances to win in the Mahzooz grand draw – the top prize of AED 10,000,000; the second prize of AED 1,000,000 or the third prize of AED 350.

They will also be automatically entered into the weekly raffle draw, where three lucky winners will be guaranteed to take home AED 100,000 each. All they have to do is purchase one bottle of water for AED 35 and pick two sets of five numbers.

Every bottle of water purchased is channeled through Mahzooz’s community partners for a cause. — RSJ, GMA News