A SMALL farmer and a scion of a family, who once owned a vast land, are the new winners of P1 million each through the "Milyonaryo ka sa Central La Carlota" of Central Azucarera de La Carlota Inc. (CACI).
They are Salde Monsale, 55, a farmer from Masulog in La Castellana town, and Antonio Matti Lopez, 61, of Barangay Ma-ao in Bago City.
The firm, in a press statement, said the draw was held at the compound of the Associacion de Agricultores de La Carlota Y Pontevedra Inc. (AALCPI) in La Carlota City.
Two sets of the draw were conducted in the presence of Caci executives led by vice president and general manager Esteban Coscolluela, Department of Trade and Industry - Negros Occidental Senior Trade and Industry Specialist Engiemar Tupas, AALCPI representative Rolando Tamon, and Katrina Labtic of La Carlota Planters Association.
Monsale receives the certificate of land ownership award covering 1.8-hectare land in 2002. He initially started planting corn but switched to sugarcane in 2005.
“In my entire life, this is the first time that I am able to hold P1 million,” Monsale said, adding that “I will share it to my children who have their own families already, have my house repaired, and buy a laptop for my youngest daughter.”
Lopez who is the third millionaire of the company's raffle promo, used to mill with Caci more than 30 years ago, back when his grandfather used to own vast tracts of land in Negros.
When the land was sold, they had no other means to feed his family.
Lopez then sold food on the streets, and it's just a year since he went back to sugar farming.
“I am only a small planter now so my chances of winning were very small,” he said, adding that "I will give the amount to my brother-in-law since he is the one financing the farm.”
Aside from the two new millionaires, Caci also raffled off 10 winners of P100,000 as second prize and 20 winners of P50,000 as third prize.