MANILA (UPDATE) — Eighteen overseas Filipino workers (OFW) from Israel arrived in the Philippines Friday afternoon amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

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The returning OFWs include 14 caregivers and 4 hotel workers.

According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), this is the second batch of OFW repatriates from Israel.

“Meron tayong 18 dumating, mga OFWs galing sa Israel and sa 189 na yun, yung 10 ay talagang tapos na po yung kontrata nila, 'yung 8 ay voluntary na gusto na nilang i-terminate yung contract. Pinayagan naman sila ng mga employers,” DMW Usec. Maria Allones said.

The DMW said part of this batch is a Filipino worker who was left in Abu Dhabi after failing to receive medical clearance to board the flight to Manila due to high blood pressure.

Allones said they received P50,000 from DMW, another P50,000 from DFA and P20, 000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Other government agencies like TESDA, according to Allones, will offer vocational courses for repatriated OFWs who are willing to enroll.

According to DMW, this is part of a whole-of-government approach of providing immediate assistance and other forms of support, including psycho-social counseling, stress debriefing, medical referral, and reintegration services.

Meanwhile, Allones said the Health Department will offer medical assistance to all the repatriates, most of them are still in trauma.

“Meron may sakit sa puso, merong may mataas ang blood pressure pero palagay ko dala din po yun ng trauma na pinagdaanan nila sa Israel. Makikita mo sa mga mata nila na medyo traumatize pa rin sila,” she said.

Ma. Cristina Magsino, 41, who worked in Israel as caregiver for more than 13 years, decided to come home to be with her family in Lemery, Batangas.

According to Magsino, this is the first time she experienced trauma after seeing personally the rockets from Israeli Defense Forces and militant group Hamas and hearing sirens every time there is an emergency alert from the Israeli government.

With the financial assistance from the government, Magsino plans to open as small business in their province.

“Ngayon po nag-iisip na ako na mag-konting negosyo para maayos ko ang aming buhay dito," she said.

Elmer Puno of San Fernando in Pampanga, who had been in Israel for two years as a caregiver, will be going home now.

As a caregiver, Puno said he is earning about P70,000 monthly from his Israeli employer.

Before becoming a caregiver in Israel, he was a salesman in the country but decided to work abroad for his family.

“Every time na tumutunog yung sirena po tumatakbo na po ako agad sa bomb shelter, kausap ko din po yung misis ko, naririnig na natatakot kaya po pinapauwi na rin po ako, mga anak ko nasabi nila uwi ka na pa kaya hindi po ako nagdalawang isip,” Puno said.

Two more Filipinos remained unaccounted for in the war between Israel and Hamas militants.

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Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said it was possible that the 2 missing Filipinos were held hostage by Hamas militants.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. earlier directed authorities to seek "critical assistance in looking for Filipinos unaccounted for" and to help them get out of Hamas-run Gaza.

There are some 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, mostly working as caregivers, officials earlier said. Meanwhile, 131 Filipinos were in Gaza.

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