Just 10 days shy of his presidency of Rotary International, Mark Daniel Maloney took the long haul to celebrate the centennial of Rotary in the Philippines and in Asia.
Despite Maloney’s busy schedule in Manila, the Philippine Rotary was able to secure an interview, but not without mishaps. It almost did not happen but because of the sensitivity of Mark Maloney, it finally pushed through at the Okada Hotel on his second day.
PHILIPPINE ROTARY: Your year is predicated on connectedness. But almost always, there exists a weak link in a structure of connectivity. Do you see a weak link in Rotary and if so, what is it?
MARK MALONEY: Wow! I am sure there is one because there is a weak link in everything, always one link that is always the weakest. But I am just so convinced that the distinguishing feature of Rotary is the connections that it develops and to me, the connections make up the strength of Rotary. This is the reason why I chose the theme, “Rotary Connects the World.” Connection is the essence of Rotary. We connect with the other members of our club. We connect with business and professional people in our community. We connect with Rotarians in other clubs around the world. We connect with the people who need our help. Connection is what Rotary offers that any other humanitarian organization may not or cannot.
PR: Is Rotary’s connection like plain networking in the business world?
MM: It’s more than networking, more than just making contact with other individuals to advance your own economic interests. It’s about developing friendships as well as partnerships with Rotarians, with other organizations, and with the people who need our help.
PR: Many observe that the growth of Rotary today is in Asia. Would you agree?
MM: Substantially, yes. The growth areas in Rotary, currently, are India, South and East Asia generally—Philippines, Taiwan, and Korea. We are also seeing growth in continental Europe, not to the same degree as in Asia but a slow steady growth. When I say continental Europe I’m talking about Germany, France, Austria, Italy, that area, as opposed to the UK and Scandinavia.
PR: You are very positive about the possibility of a woman RI president. What to you is something a woman leader can bring to the table?
MM: The main thing is that a woman leader would personify the diversity of our organization. We are a very diverse organization.
And so, any given individual, man or woman, is going to bring his or her own personal attributes, experience, and skills to the table. Whether it is a man or a woman, those skills are going to be different or the same based upon the people involved. To me what a woman would bring is evidence of the diversity of our organization.
PR: What were your impressions about the Philippines before you arrived? Are those impressions being validated or negated?
MM: I was here 12 or 13 years ago for a stewardship seminar for The Rotary Foundation. So, I have had a little bit of experience. My thought then was that there was a very enthusiastic group of service-oriented individuals in the Philippines. That has been validated by what I have seen now. Like in other parts of Asia, like in South Asia, Philippine Rotarians are very enthusiastic, and they do lots of meaningful projects.
PR: So now, what do you think of the Philippines?
MM: I am impressed with the Philippines. When I was here in 2006, I was only in Manila. And only for a very short time, in fact even shorter than planned because I had flight difficulties getting here so I arrived 24 hours late. That time the location of this hotel room where I am now sitting with you was still under water. So great progress in the city.
This time, I would also be in Manila only. We just barely went to Makati this afternoon and the growth in the [number of] skyscrapers is amazing. There were some before, but not like it is now. Lots of progress. The Philippines today is an economic powerhouse much more so than it was, at least in my perception.
Read the full interview in the September 2019 issue of the Philippine Rotary magazine.
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