For generations, Filipinos have left home carrying more than a suitcase. They carry the hopes of their families, the promise of a better future, and the quiet ache of being away from the people and places they love. We celebrate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their sacrifice, but we sometimes forget how much that sacrifice can cost.

Mary Jane Veloso’s long, agonizing journey as recounted by Rene Astudillo in “From Death Row to Freedom: Mary Jane Veloso’s Long Road Home,” brings that cost painfully real. She left the Philippines in 2010 to find work and ended up facing execution in Indonesia after drugs were found in her luggage—drugs she has maintained were placed there without her knowledge. She spent nearly 15 years in an Indonesian prison before finally being allowed to return to the Philippines in 2024 to serve out her sentence. Last week, she was granted absolute pardon by President Marcos Jr.

Mary Jane's story reminds us that behind the OFW label are people who can be terribly vulnerable when they leave home in search of a livelihood.

For those of us in the diaspora, perhaps this is why Mary Jane’s story feels close to the heart. We know what it means to leave home—and to measure distance in missed birthdays, family gatherings, and years that cannot be returned. We call our OFWs heroes, but they deserve more than our praise. They deserve protection, dignity, and the assurance that those who leave home to build a better life will always have a safe way back.

*****

On a lighter note, make sure you watch Forgotten Island, the much-praised movie rooted in Filipino culture. It's showing now in theaters in the US, Canada and the Philippines and will open soon in other international markets.

This Week’s Stories:

From Death Row to Freedom: Mary Jane Veloso’s Long Road Home by Rene Astudillo

‘Forgotten Island’ Animates Filipino Culture for the World by Anthony Maddela

FilAms Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 82 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Our Journey: Starting Over, Creating Spaces, Building Futures by Novie Luz Beramo-Minguez

[Read It Again]

Erwin, the Bartender by Migs Bassig

Lunatic Magnet by Lotis Key

[Video of the Week]

How 60,000 Filipinos Built London's Invisible Backbone