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15-year wait ends with Dh20 million win: Dubai-based Filipino baker plans retirement
For Reynaldo Herboso, who has lived and worked in Dubai since 1988, the prize arrived as he began considering retirement
- PUBLISHED: Tue 4 Aug 2026, 1:51 PM
For 15 years, Reynaldo Herboso bought a lottery ticket every month, hoping to win the jackpot. Despite years without success, he and his friends stayed optimistic and kept buying Big Ticket. Khaleej Times was at the Big Ticket studio on August 3 when the host Richard called Reynaldo, interrupting his dinner on Monday night to announce the big win.
The 61-year-old Filipino expat and 10 group members won the Dh20-million jackpot. For Reynaldo, who has lived and worked in Dubai since 1988, the prize arrived as he began considering retirement. He now plans to invest part of his share in rental properties in his hometown to generate monthly income.
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Reynaldo does not intend to spend his winnings quickly. He plans to invest in properties to earn rental income and save a portion for his future. “This amount is my retirement fund, and it has come at the right time,” Reynaldo told Khaleej Times. “By renting the properties, I will be able to earn money every month and save some as well.
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He works as a cake decorator and designer at a bakery. Despite the win, he has no plans to quit his job immediately and will continue working as he prepares for retirement.
“I love my job, and I will continue working; however, I am already 61, and I have only a little time left in Dubai because of my age.”
Reynaldo believes this win was destined: "God has perfect plans for everyone. God knows what we truly deserve."
In Dubai since 1988
Reynaldo arrived in Dubai in 1988 and has spent nearly four decades living and working in the emirate. His wife has passed away, and his son and daughter, both married, live in the Philippines. He also hopes to use part of his winnings to support his sisters.
For him, the jackpot is not just for luxury spending. It provides financial security after decades of work and allows him to support those closest to him. "The win came at a time when he was already thinking about how he would manage life after retirement."
“I think God understands me very well. This is my retirement fund, and it came at exactly the right time. God has a plan for everyone.”
A 15-year wait finally ends
Reynaldo and his friends have purchased Big Ticket entries monthly for about 15 years. Initially, they bought tickets in person, but did not win any major prizes. Despite this, the group continued participating each month.
“I had been waiting for this moment for the last 15 years. Now, after all those years, we have finally won.”
The winning ticket was shared by 11 people: eight Filipinos, two Indians, and one Bangladeshi. All members live in the same neighbourhood and have known each other for years. The Dh20-million prize will be divided among them.
Thought it was a promotional call
When Reynaldo received the call, he thought it was one of the regular promotional calls offering customers a ticket deal. After recognising Richard’s voice, he wondered why the show host was calling him about a promotion.
“When he told me that I had won the jackpot, I thought it was a joke or a prank,” said Reynaldo. “I thought it was likely that I won the weekly Dh100,000 prize. But when he said Dh20 million, I wondered why he was pranking me.”
The news was too big to sink in and Reynaldo couldn't process it even after the host congratulated him and assured him that he had won. He needed further confirmation before celebrating the windfall.
“I wanted to reconfirm, 'Are you sure?' I asked," said Reynaldo. "Richard congratulated, and I believed him, but the news didn't sink in. I could not fully understand that it was really happening."
Asked manager to verify the win
After the call ended, Reynaldo contacted his line manager at the bakery to check if the jackpot announcement was genuine. His manager verified the result and called back in two minutes. Only after that confirmation did Reynaldo inform the other 10 group members.
The news quickly spread through their neighbourhood. As Reynaldo walked to the homes of the other group members, people started congratulating him. "Some warned me the call could be fake because they found the Dh20-million win hard to believe," he said.
“Many people did not believe me at first. Some said it might be fake. But soon, the news spread across the area like wildfire.”
‘We did not sleep for a minute’
The confirmation was followed by a night of calls, conversations, and celebrations. Reynaldo said none of the 11 members slept after learning about their win. The excitement was too much for them to settle down.
And after a night of jubilation at winning Dh20 million, Reynaldo faithfully returned to his work at the bakery on Tuesday morning.
After years of decorating cakes for other people’s special occasions, Reynaldo now has a major reason to celebrate his own future. The prize has given him security to plan his retirement, help his family, and create an income that continues after he stops working. For the bakery worker who waited 15 years for the golden call, the timing could not have been better.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.