MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is preparing comprehensive reintegration assistance for Mary Jane Veloso following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s grant of an absolute pardon, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said.
“Our instructions are clear: the DMW must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mary Jane, her children, and her parents as they rebuild their lives,” Cacdac said in a statement issued late Friday.
Cacdac ordered a DMW team to coordinate directly with Veloso's family in Nueva Ecija and lay the groundwork for immediate family- and community-level interventions.
“Our team heading to Nueva Ecija will work directly with the family and local stakeholders to develop a tailored reintegration program,” Cacdac added.
DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will mobilize psychosocial counseling, livelihood starter kits, enterprise capital and skills training as part of the reintegration assistance.
As part of the assistance, the initiative will also link Veloso's ventures to local cooperatives and municipal economic opportunities in Nueva Ecija.
“Reintegration is not merely about coming home—it is about restoring dignity, ensuring financial self-sufficiency, and enabling Mary Jane to contribute to her local community and economy,” Cacdac said.
DMW continues to coordinate with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Corrections on standard release procedures at the Correctional Institution for Women.
The reintegration program aims to support Veloso as she returns to her family and community, according to DMW.
DMW also cited Veloso's case in discussing the non-punishment principle for trafficking victims, saying the principle should extend beyond identification and rescue to appropriate post-conviction measures consistent with justice, protection and rehabilitation.
