ISRAEL is a biblical name which means “to contend or to fight. King James Version (KJV) cited that the term Israel was mentioned 2,319 times in the Bible. When it comes to its importance, Israel is indeed a holy name before God.

Connecting it to the current coronavirus pandemic, there is one Israel among the city officials in Bacolod City - Councilor Israel “Ising” Salanga who chairs the Action Team on Returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who untiringly wrestles with the Covid-19 pandemic, being a frontline local leader assigned to facilitate the OFWs including stranded residents.

The mass return of stranded Bacolodnons already reached 370. And their numbers increase with more returning the government gave a nod on their trips back home. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) implemented the said directive that aims to de-congest urban centers like Manila, Cebu, and other places in the country, of the presence of non-residents.

Councilor Salanga said that at the onset, there was proper coordination between the Local Government of Bacolod and Owwa purposely to give time to the local officials and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid 19, the necessary time to prepare for the smooth transfer of the OFWs from the airport down to the designated quarantine centers in compliance with the health protocols and the mandatory 14-day quarantine that they all need to undergo.

With this strenuous task, Councilor Salanga and his team would haunt the seaport and airport during ungodly hours at night until daybreak so that they could perform their task of facilitating the arrival of the OFWs.

However, surprises overwhelm the situation when the mass expatriation happened. But since it is already there, he just endures the demands to make things done before he could get home.

Salanga is a neophyte city councilor and will turn one year in office this July. But the task given to him was quite Herculean as he could hardly go home to his parents’ house due to the risk of outside exposure that he faces every day.

“As a single person, I decided to separate my residence for a while with my parents because of my exposure outside. I don’t want to get exposed to them because I am always with the OFWs and other work-related activities. One time, my sister celebrated her birthday. I opted not to come. But I just sent something for her simple celebration. And also, before, I only took bath one’s a day but with Covid-19, I am taking a bath three to four times daily. I likewise maintain my safety protocol, as well as for my family and those whom I am with always in the line of work. I am new. And I am a work in progress. I know that I need to learn each day from my experience. And I enjoy and love what I am with right now. The risk is there, but there is joy in it. Sometimes, all it takes to serve God is to sincerely serve those people in need,” he said.

And like in the bible, we are all rooting for Councilor Israel Salanga to be victorious in what he does in the service of the Bacolodnons.