More than half of the Philippines' provinces are in drought as El Nino exacerbates hot and dry conditions typical for March, April and May
asia2 hours ago
Filipino expat Roland Baltazar delivers cakes for a living — but last Saturday, he had the sweetest surprise of his life: He won Dh1 million in the weekly Mahzooz draw.
“When I saw that my numbers matched, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I even had to check my blood pressure the next morning! I never thought that I’d become a millionaire but now I know for sure that everything in life is possible,” said Roland, who drives a freezer van to deliver cakes and confectionery orders across Abu Dhabi.
He matched five out of six numbers in last week’s draw and shared the Dh2 million prize with an Emirati.
“I’ve been participating in the draw from day one and I never lost hope. I always knew my lucky day would come, and when it came on Saturday I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
Roland plans to use his winnings to give his partner the wedding of her dreams. “We have been talking about getting married for a long time and now we can finally afford it,” he said.
The expat has also been supporting his family back in the Philippines and, now, he will be able to build her mother’s dream home.
“I also want to help out my elder brother, who has supported me through everything ever since I was little — like going to college, moving to the UAE. None of this would have been possible without him,” he said.
For Roland, hard work, perseverance and hope are what matters most in life. “Don’t stop or you might miss your chance. Continue forward, keep your hopes up, and one day you’ll be the lucky one.”
saman@khaleejtimes.com
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