"I'd like to travel to the Philippines to visit family": Friends celebrate lottery win

A pair of friends from Ontario are excitedly making plans after winning the lottery.

Oakville residents Lina Bagalla and Marifi Delos Reyes have been friends and neighbours for 17 years. They’ve also been playing the lottery together since 2017.

“I woke up the morning after the draw to check my ticket,” said Bagalla. “I heard the winning tune on the OLG App but I had to put my glasses on to see what we won.”

When she saw the amount, Bagalla was in complete disbelief.

“I was shocked – I screamed,” she recalled. She immediately told Delos Reyes who, understandably, had to scan the ticket for herself.

Delos Reyes said that she was overcome with emotion when she realized that they really had won a Lotto Max second prize of $52,113.10 in the August 9 draw.

Friends Lina Bagalla and Marifi Delos Reyes/OLG

“I saw the screen and I almost cried,” she said, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up their winnings. “It was unbelievable.”

But that doesn’t mean they’re going to stop playing the lottery anytime soon — they’re keeping their eyes on a bigger prize.

“I’m so thankful,” said Delos Reyes. “Hopefully this win is practice for when we win the big one!”

Delos Reyes will be putting her half of the money towards savings and a down payment on a home. As for Bagalla, she said she’ll be sharing her winnings with family.

“I’d like to travel back to the Philippines for a vacation to visit family,” she said.

The winning ticket was purchased at The Lottery Stop on Rebecca Street in Oakville.