The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said on Tuesday that 18 Filipinos are expected to arrive from Israel and will receive financial assistance for work disrupted by the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

According to OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio, most of the Filipinos who arrived in the Philippines were really scheduled to go home and not because of the conflict.

"So far, we have brought home 28 Filipinos up to October 14. These people returned home, not because of the conflict. Many of them are scheduled to go home early," Ignacio said.

Ignacio added that the Philippine government has been helping send Filipinos back from Israel since 10 October as OWWA.

The OWWA in collaboration with the Department of Migrant Workers will be giving assistance to the OFWs whose livelihoods were disrupted by the ongoing conflict. OWWA will be lending P50,000 in assistance and the Department of Migrant Workers will also provide counterpart funding of another P50,000.
Ignacio stressed that the assistance is higher than usual because of the pay that OFWs in Israel usually get.

"They have a lot of bills that will be left pending while they don't have work," Ignacio said.

Ignacio added that OFWs will be receiving assistance through certificates that they can present to regional OWWA offices that will release money.

"It would be difficult to give them cash at the airport because these are large amounts," he added.