MANILA — Around 20 overseas Filipino workers repatriated from Israel will arrive in the Philippines on Monday, October 23, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega for Migrant Workers Affairs, said Sunday.

Interviewed over Teleradyo Serbisyo's "Ano'ng Ganap?" program, de Vega said, the 20 returning Filipinos were caregivers and hotel workers in Israel.

"Dadating 'yan ng mga alas kwatro (ng hapon)," he added.

There were 34 Filipinos in the first batch that the government flew home from Israel.

There have been no no new reports of Filipinos getting hurt in hostilities in Gaza, the official said. Two other Filipinos are still missing.

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De Vega also clarified reports that Filipinos in Gaza are having trouble getting access to food and water, saying this is not the first time that this has happened.

"Matagal na iyan na ganyan, na parating nagkukulang. Pero resilient sila. Nakakagawa sila ng paraan. Ito lang ang pinakamalaking challenge. Kung hindi mare-relax yung blockade, eh, eventually, mauubusan sila," he said.

(It has been that way for a long time, supplies are always scarce. But they are resilient and they find ways. But this is the biggest challenge: if the blockade isn't relaxed, they will run out.)

He said that 20 trucks carrying aid were allowed into Gaza but that that is not enough.

De Vega also said that the activation of its voluntary repatriation program in Lebanon is only a precaution for the 17,500 Filipinos working there.

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"Ayaw natin na biglaan na kung kailan mahirap nang mag-repatriate eh saka lang tayo mananawagan," he said.

(We don't want a situation where we will only call for repatriation when it is already difficult to get them home.)

He added that he does not expect the violence in parts of Gaza and of Lebanon to spill over to other countries.