Jackpot Winner of PCSO Lotto 6/42 Goes on Social Media
The PCSO could have done better before it posted the awkwardly-edited photo of a jackpot winner than just simply reason out that editing is not their forte.
Millions of Filipinos, if not thousands, join the lotto games conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. More popularly called PCSO, it is the legal and authorized lotto operator in the country operating several minor and major lotto games.
The minor lotto games of the PCSO which include the EZ2 Lotto and the Swertres Lotto2 as well as the Small Time Lottery (STL) games have daily draws. With regards to the major lotto games such as the 6/58 Ultra Lotto, 6/55 Grand Lotto, 6/49 Mega Lotto, 6/45 Super Lotto, and the Lotto 6/42 each has at least two (2) draws in a week.
Undeniably, the excitement is high when it comes to the major lotto games which always have multi-million jackpot prizes. They usually have the capacity to draw long lines in front of lotto outlets as countless Filipinos aspire to be the next winner of a multi-million jackpot prize.
Last December 28, 2023, a solo bettor won the jaw-dropping jackpot prize for the Lotto 6/42 which was at P43,882,361.60. A few days after, the PCSO posted an edited photo of the grand winner holding the check together with the official of the lotto operator.
However, the editing of the said photo did not sit well with countless members of the online community. The said photo instantly went viral online and draw different reactions with some individuals’ trust to the PCSO shaking.
Meanwhile, the PCSO was quick to release an explanation saying that editing is not their “forte” and their concern is the safety of the jackpot winner and not the quality of the photo.
“Oo, pangit, inaamin namin na pangit (referring to the editing of the photo). Kayo na ang magaling mag-edit. Pero ang objective namin ay maprotektahan dahil buhay ang nakataya diyan,” PCSO General Manager Mel Robles told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
I honestly understand that photo editing may not be the forte of the PCSO. However, I humbly believe that the office could have done better to avoid situations that can affect the people’s trust.
Millions of Filipinos are using their hard-earned money to join the lotto games hoping to be the next winner. It is not a surprise if an awkwardly-edited photo will really take the people’s attention. It did not satisfy the people for them to believe that someone really won.
Meanwhile, I salute the PCSO for prioritizing the safety of the jackpot winner. It is just that when it comes to the photo released to the public, I hoped certain things could have been arranged to avoid the situation of a photo going viral and triggering the people’s trust. Surely, the budget for a more realistic photo-editing is not something that the office may struggle to find.
Disclaimer: The content of the article posted above is an opinion of the writer. Also, the citations provided are based on the information deemed as facts by the different legit sources that contribute to the basis of the making of the whole viewpoint. The writer does not, in any form, intend to create inaccurate understanding of the topic or influence the readers instead, express one’s viewpoint in a formal manner.
