The transfer of Mary Jane Veloso back to the Philippines, an overseas worker detained in Indonesia on drug charges, is now being processed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Sunday.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega confirmed that the transfer process was the reason behind the cancellation of the scheduled compassionate visit of Veloso’s family to Indonesia this week.

In a statement, Celia and Cesar Veloso, Mary Jane’s parents, expressed disappointment over the cancellation of their trip to visit their daughter, whom they have not seen in over a year.

The DFA had informed them that their trip to Indonesia would not push through because Mary Jane was scheduled for transfer to Jakarta from the Yogyakarta Women’s Correctional Institution in Wonosari, Yogyakarta.

“This morning, at 9:13 a.m., our family received a notice from the DFA... informing us that our planned visit to Mary Jane in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 16-18 December will no longer push through,” the family said.

“Mary Jane is scheduled to travel to Jakarta today to begin the process of her transfer to the Philippines, in compliance with the order of the Indonesian Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections,” they added.

While they noted that the exact date of Mary Jane’s return to the Philippines remains uncertain, the news brought them hope.

“[T]he Philippine government requests the family’s continued patience and understanding as it arranges for the best opportunity for them to meet with Ms. Veloso when she is finally back on Philippine soil,” De Vega told DAILY TRIBUNE in a text message.

Despite their canceled visit, Veloso’s parents expressed joy that their daughter, who has been detained in Indonesia for 14 years, is closer to coming home.

“We... are disappointed that our visit to Mary Jane will not push through, as we had prepared for this and were excited to be with her again after a year since our last visit,” the parents said.

They continued: “Nevertheless, we are overjoyed because Mary Jane’s return to our country is fast approaching.”

Indonesia announced last month that Veloso could be repatriated under a new program allowing foreign prisoners to be transferred to their home country through bilateral negotiations.