Ajman Resident Azucena Returned to Philippines for Surgery After Fracturing Arm in Roadside Accident.
For Filipina expatriate Bernadetta Azucena, winning Dh20 million in the Big Ticket draw came while she was away from the UAE recovering from an injury and dealing with significant family responsibilities.
Azucena, an Ajman resident, returned to the Philippines on September 30 to undergo surgery after injuring a bone in her right arm in a roadside accident. The injury made it difficult for her to work or write, and her husband decided she should return home for treatment because there was no one available in the UAE to care for her.
The 42-year-old had been working in the UAE since 2016, most recently as a secretary, before her employment contract ended.
Then came the news that would dramatically change her family’s financial circumstances.
The winning ticket had been purchased by a group of 22 relatives and friends who have been participating in Big Ticket together since 2017. Group members take turns selecting tickets, and this time the winning entry was registered under Azucena’s name.
However, the Dh20 million prize will not go to Azucena alone. The winnings will be divided among all 22 members of the group.
‘I thought I was dreaming’: Azucena misses winning call
When organisers made the winning call, Azucena was thousands of kilometres away in the Philippines and asleep.
The draw took place at around 1am Philippine time, and she initially found it difficult to believe the news when her husband contacted her.
Azucena said her husband video-called to tell her that their group had won, but she was so surprised that she thought she might still be dreaming. She even asked him to show her a video of the result before she could fully believe what had happened.
Once the news sank in, she said she was extremely thankful for the unexpected win.
The reality of the win only began to sink in later, when Azucena realised Big Ticket organisers had been trying to contact her.
She said she was so overwhelmed when she eventually spoke to them that she initially gave the wrong number of people in the group, saying there were around 10 to 12 members before later remembering that the ticket was actually shared among 22 participants.
Azucena said the shock made it difficult for her to fully process what she was hearing during the call.
For a group that has been purchasing tickets together for almost a decade, the win represents more than just a major financial prize. Azucena said each member has different commitments and challenges, and their individual shares could help ease some of those pressures.
She said the money could help members settle debts, create better opportunities for their children and strengthen their families’ financial security. While each person may use their share differently, she said the entire group was grateful for the unexpected windfall.
Housing loan, car loan and daughter’s future are priorities
For Azucena and her family, the first priorities are straightforward.
She plans to use part of her share to clear the family’s housing loan, which still has nine years remaining, as well as their car loan. Setting aside money for her daughter’s future is also high on the family’s list.
Despite returning to the Philippines for surgery, Azucena does not intend for the win to mark the end of her life in the UAE.
She travelled to the Philippines on September 30 primarily for treatment and said she plans to return to the UAE once she has fully recovered, as her husband continues to work there.
Although the winning ticket was registered in Azucena’s name, she explained that the group regularly takes turns when purchasing entries.
This time, the group participated through a 2+4 promotion. Six of the 22 members selected numbers, with the eventual winning number chosen by one of those six participants.
Group plans to continue buying tickets
Even after securing the Dh20 million prize, the group has no plans to stop participating in Big Ticket.
Azucena said stories of previous participants winning more than once encouraged them to continue trying their luck.
She has also long enjoyed entering raffles and promotional draws and had already won several smaller prizes before the Big Ticket jackpot.
Her previous winnings included a gold coin from a water company, a Dh250 shopping coupon, Dh500 from a radio station and Dh10,000 in a mall raffle.
However, she said the Dh20 million Big Ticket prize is by far the largest win she has experienced. While the money will be divided among the 22 group members, Azucena said the result has the potential to improve the lives of all the families involved.
