A Grade 10 teacher of Barangay Vista Alegre, Bacolod City, won a brand new car in the New Year’s Eve raffle of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez at the Bacolod City Government Center.
Darlene Grace Aurelio teaches at the Teofilo Gensoli Sr. National High School in Barangay Vista Alegre and is a Grade 10 adviser.
Her husband is a seaman who is in South Korea.
Two others whose names were drawn ahead of Aurelio lost the chance to win the car because they did not answer their cellular phones despite three attempts to reach them.
Aurelio said she was in Sagay City celebrating the New Year with her in-laws when she was informed that she won.
Aurelio received two calls from an unknown number. She did not answer the first one because she thought it was a scam but answered the second as it could be an emergency.
She then heard the background party music and was informed that she won a brand new car. It’s a Mitsubishi Mirage, she said.
“The feeling is overwhelming, this is my first time to win such big blessing. The moment was very perfect, it was seconds before the New Year,” she said.
“This is a gift from God”, said Aurelio, who has been teaching for nine years.
Aurelio said she will probably break in the car with a drive to Sipalay City.
She said she registered for the raffle of Dec. 27 after other teachers shared the link while she was doing her laundry.
The teacher is known for sharing and helping those in need. Recently she gathered donations for the Barangay 29 fire victims.
Kindness and sharing is important, she said.
Five Bacolodnons won motorcycles, while others won cash prizes funded by the mayor who is a billionaire. All of the prizes were not paid for by the city government, Benitez said.
Even non Bacolod residents registered for the raffle so they had to verify that all the winners were Bacolod residents, Carmela Gamboa, Bacolod public information officer, said.