By Heidi Nicodemus
After more than 15 years of uncertainty behind bars, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso is once again daring to dream of a better life—not just for herself, but for the family she has long wanted to lift out of poverty.
The 41-year-old Filipino domestic worker, whose life was nearly cut short by a death sentence in Indonesia, is now looking forward to a future she once feared she would never have after receiving an absolute pardon from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Her dream has remained the same since the beginning: to give her loved ones a brighter future. Now, with a new lease on life, she hopes to make that dream a reality by venturing into farming in her hometown in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
“My real priority is simply to lift my family out of poverty,” Veloso said, recalling the aspiration she held on to even during her imprisonment at the Lapas Perempuan Kelas IIB Yogyakarta, or Yogyakarta Class IIB Women’s Correctional Facility.
President Marcos granted Veloso an absolute pardon on September 24, following her repatriation to the Philippines in 2024.
For Veloso, the opportunity to start over is about more than regaining her freedom. It is also about finding a sustainable way to support her family and building a future on her own terms.
“I don’t want to rise out of poverty alone. I want to rise together with my family,” she said, expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support she has received, which she considers a blessing from God.
Farming, she believes, offers a practical path toward that goal.
“I really want a piece of land to cultivate. If you just plant vegetables there, you can sustain yourself. If you plant rice, you will have your (own supply),” she explained.
She is less confident about venturing into other businesses, such as selling clothes, saying she lacks the necessary training and cannot be certain of success.
Beyond her livelihood plans, Veloso also hopes to continue her education. She intends to resume her junior high school studies at the Correctional Institution for Women, where she was detained after returning to the Philippines.
“They said they would help me finish (my studies at CIW),” she said.
Her plans reflect a determination to rebuild her life step by step, starting with education, livelihood and the chance to remain close to the people who stood by her through years of hardship.
For her parents, Cesar and Celia, however, nothing matters more than having their daughter home.
“We won’t allow her to leave us again,” Cesar said emphatically in a recent interview after the couple reunited with Veloso in their hometown of General Mamerto Natividad, Nueva Ecija.
He also expressed his willingness to support his daughter’s plans should she decide to establish a business.
Celia, meanwhile, hopes Veloso will take time to enjoy being with her family before fully embarking on her next chapter.
“I hope she starts working on her plans next year,” she said with a grin.
But while Veloso looks ahead, the painful circumstances that led to her imprisonment remain unresolved.
She intends to pursue criminal charges against her recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao, over alleged human trafficking, estafa and illegal recruitment in connection with the heroin found in her suitcase when she was arrested in Yogyakarta.
Veloso was sentenced to death in October 2010 for drug trafficking. In 2015, then Indonesian President Joko Widodo granted a last-minute reprieve from execution after her recruiters surrendered to Philippine authorities.
Her case has since become a powerful reminder of the dangers faced by Filipinos seeking employment abroad, particularly those who fall victim to deceptive recruitment schemes.
Veloso’s lawyer, Atty. Edre Olalia, recognized the government’s efforts to assist her while emphasizing the state’s responsibility to protect overseas Filipino workers from unscrupulous recruiters.
