The government has extended financial, livelihood, and reintegration assistance to Mary Jane Veloso as she begins a new chapter in her life after receiving an absolute pardon from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

At a Palace press briefing on Monday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said various government agencies have granted assistance not only to Veloso but also to her family.

“Nag-abot ang DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) ng P30,000 cash relief assistance kay Mary Jane at P10,000 naman para sa kanyang ama at ina,” Castro said.

Castro said Veloso’s children will also receive P10,000 each from the DSWD.

Veloso has also undergone assessment for the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program to help her establish a sustainable source of income, according to the Palace official.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is providing assistance to Veloso and her family, including psychosocial counseling, livelihood starter kits, enterprise capital, and skills training.

“Tiniyak ng ahensya na patuloy ang mga hakbang nito upang masiguro ang maayos na reintegration ni Mary Jane at ng kanyang pamilya sa panibagong yugto ng kanilang buhay,” Castro said.

“Sa mga hakbang na ito, ang Pangulo ay nasagip ang buhay ng isang ina, isang manggagawa, isang Pilipino,” she further said.

Marcos granted absolute pardon to Veloso, a former overseas Filipino worker who was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia and sentenced to death last week.

Veloso spent more than a decade in detention in Indonesia but maintained that she was a victim of human trafficking and was unaware that illegal drugs had been placed in the luggage she was carrying.

The Philippine government had repeatedly appealed to Indonesia for clemency for Veloso.

In November 2024, Marcos announced that he and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had reached an agreement that paved the way for Veloso’s transfer to the Philippines.

Veloso returned to the country in December 2024 and was placed under the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City to continue serving her sentence.

The grant of absolute pardon opened the way for Veloso’s release and reunion with her family. Presidential News Desk