MANILA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The first 65 Filipinos evacuated from Timor-Leste by the Philippine air force arrived here on Sunday afternoon, according to local broadcast reports.

    A total of 65 evacuees, including overseas Filipino workers and their families from Timor-Leste (East Timor) were brought home by a C-130 cargo plane earlier on Sunday and arrived at the Villamor Airbase, a military airport south of Manila in the afternoon, DZMM radio said.

    President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo personally met the evacuees. Government officials were also present at the airbase, providing services such as food and traffic allowance to them.

    The evacuees and their families, some of them new born babies, were given hotline and documentation service so as to identify themselves and each other in the much crowded airport, according to the report.

    The Filipino workers appeared calm and happy. However, many of them said they are eager to return to Timor-Leste for higher salaries there.

    The Filipinos were evacuated due to increasing violence since the Timor-Leste rebels attacked the U.N. peacekeepers there on Thursday, killing nine and the security situation seemingly lost control.

    The Philippine authority said more Filipinos were expected to be evacuated from the violent region, assuring the public diplomatic services and protection for those who have yet to be reached by the Philippine Embassy there.

    There are still roughly 110 Filipino workers remaining in the Timor-Leste capital city of Dili and nearby towns, the report quoted an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assaying.

    The C-130 cargo plane will stand by at the airbase waiting to transport more Filipinos from Timor-Leste if the situation worsens again, according to the DFA.

    The DFA earlier had advised Filipinos not to travel to the country. Enditem