As I near the end of my fifteen-month secondment from Action Contre la Faim (ACF), it seems fitting to take a moment to recall some of the things I have seen, to remember people I have met and to reflect on some of the lessons I have learned while working with the Global Logistics Cluster Support Cell. And although there are far too many to mention here, one particular story comes to mind.
Towards the end of 2009, a series of typhoons and tropical storms hit the Philippines and I was deployed to its capital, Manila, as the Logistics Cluster Coordinator. With over 10 million people affected by the storms, the need to ensure that relief items reached those in need was felt across the entire country, but also by one man in particular, Mr. Oliver Bartolo.
As a Supply Chain Solutions Operations Manager with UPS, Mr. Bartolo headed a team of logistics experts from UPS, TNT and Agility that came together under the banner of the Logistics Emergency Team (LET) to assist the Philippines Logistics Cluster.
Mr. Bartolo was a key part of the Philippines Logistics Cluster, providing coordination and leadership to the LET. Easily matching the long hours that the rest of the team were putting in, he was always ready to give beyond what was asked of him in order to ensure the relief effort was a success.
But it was only during an innocent conversation we had while loading trucks that the true extent of dedication from LET became apparent. I happened to ask where he lived and only then did he make any mention of the fact that he lived in an area exactly in the path of one of the typhoons and that his house had been submerged. In fact, during my mission in the Philippines, I realized a number of LET staff members were directly affected by typhoons while they worked full time with the Logistics Cluster.
The quiet commitment of Mr. Bartolo and his colleagues to the Philippines Logistics Cluster was a reflection of their belief in its ability to effectively bring relief to those most affected. And I will remember and cherish their determination that made difference in our operation under the extremely challenging situation in the Philippines.
Pictures by Baptiste Burgaud/Logistics Cluster