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

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

"So far, we have brought home 28 Filipinos up to 14 October. 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 aid 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 relative 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.