Странная переменная, PHP/WP. Как сменить тип в число из строки?

<script type="text/template" id="tmpl-form-add-customer">
    <input type="hidden" id="customer_details_id" value="{{id}}">
    <div id="pos_billing_details" class="pos-customer-details-tab">
        <div class="woocommerce-billing-fields">
            <?php
            // Fix for checkout address if the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin activated
            remove_all_filters('woocommerce_checkout_get_value');
            $checkout = WC()->checkout();
            $wc_reg_generate_username_opt = get_option('woocommerce_registration_generate_username');
            $wc_reg_generate_pass_opt = get_option('woocommerce_registration_generate_password');
            $required_fields = get_option('wc_pos_customer_create_required_fields', false);
            $hide_fields = get_option('wc_pos_hide_not_required_fields', 'no');
            //unset($checkout->checkout_fields['order']['order_comments']);
            
            $customer_id = '{{id}}';
            $customer_id = filter_var((int)$customer_id, FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT);
            
            if (isset($checkout->checkout_fields['billing'])) {
                if (function_exists('wc_address_validation')) {
                    $validation_handler = wc_address_validation()->get_handler_instance();
                    $validation_handler->show_billing_postcode_lookup();
                }
                foreach ($checkout->checkout_fields['billing'] as $key => $field) :                    
                    $value = str_replace('billing_', 'billing_address.', $key);
                    if ($required_fields !== false && !in_array($key, $required_fields) && !in_array($key, array('billing_first_name', 'billing_last_name', 'billing_email'))) {
                        $field['required'] = false;
                    }
                    if ($hide_fields == 'yes' && $field['required'] == false) {
                        continue;
                    }
                    if (strpos($value, 'billing_address.') === false && strpos($value, 'billing_address.') !== 0) {
                        $value = 'billing_address.[' . $key . ']';
                    }
                    if (get_option('woocommerce_allowed_countries') == 'specific' && $key == 'billing_country') {
                        $countries = get_option('woocommerce_specific_allowed_countries');
                        if (count($countries) == 1) {
                            $field['country'] = $countries['0'];
                        }
                    }
                    if (get_option('woocommerce_allowed_countries') == 'specific' && $key == 'billing_state') {
                        $field['type'] = 'state';
                    }
                    
                    if ($customer_id != '0') {
                        if (get_option('woocommerce_allowed_countries') == 'specific' && $key == 'billing_state') {
                            $value = get_user_meta($customer_id, 'billing_state', true);
                        }
                        if ($key == 'billing_email') {
                            $value = get_user_meta($customer_id, 'billing_email', true);
                        }
                        if ($key == 'billing_first_name') {
                            $value = get_user_meta($customer_id, 'billing_first_name', true);
                        }
                        if ($key == 'billing_last_name') {
                            $value = get_user_meta($customer_id, 'billing_last_name', true);
                        }
                        if (
                            (get_option('woocommerce_allowed_countries') == 'specific' && $key == 'billing_state') || 
                            $key == 'billing_email' || 
                            $key == 'billing_first_name' || 
                            $key == 'billing_last_name'
                        ) {
                            var_dump($value);
                            woocommerce_form_field($key, $field, $value);
                        } else {
                            woocommerce_form_field($key, $field, '{{' . $value . '}}');
                        }
                    } else {
                        woocommerce_form_field($key, $field, '{{' . $value . '}}');
                    }
                endforeach;
            }.....