Former overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso, together with her family and supporters, attends a thanksgiving Mass at the Siena College Chapel in Quezon City on Saturday, September 26, 2026, following her release from detention after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted her an absolute pardon. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Nearly 17 years after she was separated from her family, Mary Jane Veloso spent her first full day at home in Nueva Ecija doing the ordinary things she had long missed: sleeping beside her mother, cleaning the house, checking on her parents, and thinking about her children’s future.
Veloso spent her first night back in General Mamerto Natividad sleeping beside her mother, a simple moment that brought her back to her childhood.
"Meron kasi akong ugali noong maliit pa lang ako, sumisiksik ako sa kili-kili ng nanay ko. Kahit may asawa na ako, may anak na ako. EH' kagabi, kinukulit ko siya, 'Nay,' sabi ko, 'gusto ko sumisiksik dito sa kili-kili mo.' 'Huwag na, huwag na,' sabi niya matanda ka na. 'Huwag na,' gano'n. Sumisiksik pa rin ako," Veloso said.
The following morning, Veloso said waking up at home felt markedly different from her routine at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong, where her days were structured around prayer, school, work, and dormitory responsibilities.
"Siyempre, payapa na. Pero noong unang gising ko talaga, iyong parang pag gising ko, ay, nasa bahay na pala ako. Gano'n," she said.
From death row to freedom: Mary Jane Veloso’s story of survival and hope
Instead of spending her first morning resting, Veloso quickly returned to domestic work.
She began cleaning the house, including the bathroom and electric fan—saying she prefers even a small house to be clean.
The routine was familiar. During her years at the CIW, Veloso said she learned to clean and organize, and she was also tasked with helping manage fellow inmates in her dormitory.
She said the experience also taught her how to guide and manage people, skills she now hopes to apply as she rebuilds her family life.
MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME
Former overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso, together with her family and supporters, attends a thanksgiving Mass at the Siena College Chapel in Quezon City on Saturday, September 26, 2026, following her release from detention after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted her an absolute pardon. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
Her return home has also brought into focus the years she missed as a mother.
Veloso became emotional while talking about her youngest son, Mark Darren Veloso-Candelaria—now 17 and in Grade 10—whom she left for Indonesia when he was only a year old.
One of the things she wants most now is to accompany him to school, something she was unable to do while detained.
Mary Jane Veloso’s family eyes new life together after absolute pardon
"Una kay Darren, siguro po... parang gusto ko sumama sa school. Iyon bang maihatid siya para kahit paano, kahit na malaki na siya, iyong mga classmates niya malalaman nila na, ito iyong nanay mo. Naiyak tuloy ako. Hindi ko kasi nagampanan iyon e'," Veloso said.
She recalled crying after seeing a handwritten letter from Darren, whose writing was still imperfect when he was young.
"Iyong sulat ng anak ko, iyon talagang 'yong unang sulat niya. As in hindi pa, mali pa spelling, iyong balu-baluktot na hindi mo maitindihan sulat niya. Naiyak din ako doon. Kasi sabi ko, dapat ako iyong kamay na nakahawak sa kamay ng anak ko noon. Iyong magtuturo sa kanya magsulat," she said.
REBUILDING A LIFE AFTER PRISON
Veloso also plans to attend another Thanksgiving Mass in Nueva Ecija. She already attended one in Manila following her release, but said she had wanted her first Mass to be in her home community.
Her family was considering a smaller church in Mayapyap to avoid large crowds and a long trip while she was recovered from the journey home.
Another immediate priority is securing Philippine identification documents.
Veloso said she has never voted and then had no valid personal ID. Her previous passport, which she used when she traveled to Indonesia, had expired and became part of the evidence in her case.
She also hopes to spend time with her siblings and family once she has recovered from the exhaustion of her return. Her siblings have told her about places they visited and activities they enjoyed together, including swimming.
But beyond family reunions and ordinary moments, Veloso faces the practical task of rebuilding a livelihood.
‘Hindi po ako iniwan ng pamilya ko’: Mary Jane Veloso spends first day with family after release
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 3 visited the family at their home on Sunday and provided assistance.
According to DSWD Region 3, it provided a total of P50,000 in cash relief under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program for Veloso, her parents, and her two children. The agency also plans to assess Veloso under its Sustainable Livelihood Program to determine what livelihood would suit her. A small business is among the possibilities.
DSWD Region 3 said it will also provide medical assistance to Veloso’s parents and refer the educational needs of her two children to the local congressman and local government unit for possible assistance.
FARMING AS A PATH FORWARD
Veloso also said she wants to work and earn for her family, but she does not yet have a job or a definite business plan.
She is considering farming to grow crops near their home.
"Parang sa pagtatanim pa rin, parang gusto kong bumili ng lupa, tapos iyong tatamnan, iyong gano'n po," she said.
For Veloso, the livelihood she hopes to build is not primarily for herself, but for helping support her family, which currently has no primary breadwinner.
WATCH: