Councillor Carol Israel has been elected as the new Deputy Mayor of Blacktown City Council
Filipinos all over the globes have recently experience episodes of great sadness and disgust. Everyone had been shocked by the unbelievable level of corruption and misuse of government funds allocated for flood control. Then there were natural calamities of flooding and more recently the strong earthquake suffered by the Cebu area, which had resulted in at least 69 people deaths and dozens injured after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck late on Tuesday, September 30. This came just barely weeks after the typhoons which killed 20 people.
We are glad to say that the Filipino-Australian and wider community currently have a great reason to feel happy and celebrate! A kababayan, Councillor Carol Israel has been elected as the new Deputy Mayor of Blacktown City Council. Cr Israel is a Woodcroft resident and Ward 3 representative. She was first elected to Council in 2016. She takes over the position which was held by Councillor Bob Fitzgerald over the past 12 months.
Based on the 2021 census, Blacktown City had 35,579 residents of Filipino ancestry, representing 9.0% of the city's population. Of this, 2,820 people were born in the Philippines. Blacktown City is proudly home to the largest number of Filipino-born residents in New South Wales.
The great news of Carol Israel being elected in the significant role of Deputy Mayor had been celebrated all over Australia through social media posts of congratulations to Councillor Carol Israel. Carol has happily responded:
"I am absolutely blown away by all the love and support. 
Thank you all so much for the amazing congratulatory messages and the incredibly kind words, I'm truly humbled and feeling so grateful right now. 
To have this opportunity to continue serving in the capacity of Deputy Mayor, is an absolute honour, and I can't wait to get started. I'm so excited to see what we can achieve together, and I promise to give it my all! 
I really appreciate each and every one of you taking the time to reach out. Your words mean the world to me! 
Let's make some magic happen in Blacktown. 
I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and word harder. I'm feeling super motivated by your encouragement.
"A huge thank you to Cr Jess Diaz, Cr Peter Camilleri, Cr Allan Greenm Cr Pradeep Pathi, Cr Mohit Kumar and Cr JD Singh for your nomination and support."
Career background
Before Carol Israel became a Blacktown City Councillor, she was formerly a trade union organiser, and community leader who has spent years standing up for the rights of working people and local residents.
She was first elected to Blacktown City Council in 2016 and has since been known as a strong advocate for fairness, good governance, and better community services. Born in the Philippines, Carol migrated to Australia in 2001 and worked in retail before becoming a union organiser with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA). In this role, she fought for better wages and working conditions for retail workers, many of whom faced job insecurity.
With her passion for fairness and justice, it was a natural progression that she entered politics, where she now works to make local government more responsive to the needs of the community. Carol is deeply involved in community events and charity work. She has helped organise local festivals and led volunteering efforts for Clean Up Australia Day. She has raised funds for charities such Feed the Students and Lismore Appeal through the by fundraising initiatives of the Filipino Sports and Recreation Club (FILSPARC) which she founded in 2019. She also played a key role in campaigning for accessibility upgrades at Doonside Station, working alongside community groups to ensure better transport options for people with disabilities.
She was former Chair of the Multicultural Advisory Committee and Access Advisory Committee, which has been a strong voice for diversity and inclusion in Blacktown. Her advocacy and works ensure that everyone, especially women, migrants, and workers, has access to the opportunities and support they need. She is now the chairperson of the Safety Advisory Committee and Environment Advisory Committee. She is committed to fostering a safe and sustainable environment for the residents of Blacktown.
Carol’s dedication to empowering women was recognised when she was nominated as Blacktown’s Woman of the Year in 2023. Her work in the community, from supporting women in the workforce to advocating for fairer policies, reflects her commitment to creating a stronger, fairer, and more inclusive Blacktown.
Personal background
Carol Israel is the only child of Jose "Pepe" Valenzuela from San Antonio, Nueva Ecija and Conchita Bautista Valenzuela who hails from Sumacab, Nueva Ecija. His father passed away when she was 17 years old. Her mother, Conchita who belies her age of 90 years old, lives with Carol and is also active in supporting community projects.
Carol graduated from Saint Louis University with a degree in AB Political Science in 1987. She was married to Jose Israel Jr. for two decades until his passing due to Leukaemia. She migrated to Australia in February 2001 with her 3 children – Janine, 12 years old; Jose Ian, 10 yo and Jeno, 7yo.
In 2015, she met Emmanuel Tolentino and they became a team which was very well known and loved for their selfless community service. Sadly, to Carol’s and the community’s devastation Manny (as he was fondly called) recently passed away following a stroke. He was visited by numerous members of the community on his last four days in hospital.
Nowadays, Carol draws strength from serving the community and from the love of her family especially from her Mum Conchita and her two granddaughters – Sophia, 6 years and Gabriella, 2yo,
The Australian Filipina joins the Filipino-Australian and wider community in congratulating Councillor Carol Israel on being elected as Deputy Mayor of Blacktown City Council. Collectively, we are all proud of her achievements and wish her more success in community service and politics. Her best years are yet to come.