WHILE the country continues to await the return of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso from Indonesia, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) paid her family a visit in General Natividad, Nueva Ecija, to assure them of the government’s continued provision of assistance.
“This visit is a testament to our ongoing commitment to the welfare of our overseas workers and their families. We will not leave them behind, and we will continue to extend support to Nanay Celia and her family,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a statement late Saturday.
During the visit, Cacdac said, the DMW provided financial assistance and a grocery pack to the Veloso family.
Cacdac said they also committed to provide Mary Jane’s eldest son, Daniel, with psychosocial counseling, skills training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); and allowances to help him focus on his studies.
Cacdac said the family will also be provided employment assistance through the local government of General Natividad.
Earlier, President Marcos Jr announced that Veloso is set to come home soon after the Indonesian government allowed her to serve her sentence in the Philippines.
Veloso has been in the Indonesian death row after she was caught carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin back in 2010. In 2015, Veloso was given temporary reprieve after a woman surrendered and admitted to duping her to smuggling illegal drugs.
In a related development, the DMW said Cacdac was able to contact Veloso’s sister, who is working in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This is regarding her concerns about her employer as well as her request for repatriation.
“We advised her to remain calm and wait for the visit of Migrant Workers Office officers, who would arrange for her safe repatriation,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can bring her home before Christmas,” Cacdac added.
