#MaryJaneLives | Hacienda Luisita “created” Veloso’s plight
“The people can also find the roots of the family’s plight in Hacienda Luisita. Mary Jane’s story actually started in Aquino’s own backyard. At age 15, Mary Jane’s father Cesar started working as a sakada, or a seasonal sugar cane cutter at the estate, where Cesar’s father, Emeterio also endured hard toil for decades. This oppressive set-up still festering in our countrysides up to this day and age forced the family to find other odd jobs as peddlers and scavengers. This bleak situation compelled Mary Jane to seek opportunities abroad. This is a story typical of every Filipino family amid widespread hopelessness and destitution here in the country.”