Apart from making sure that his empire is sound, multi-billionaire Hans Sy, the fourth son of the late business tycoon Henry Sy Sr. of the SM Group, has one thing to brag about — that he changed the life of a neglected child that was thrown in a trash bin many years ago.

Being busy with his enterprises, Hans has been a philanthropist through its corporate social responsibility, SM Cares, serving customers and supporting communities.

It is said that Hans has this special heart, especially for children who experience challenges during infancy. This was when he was informed that an abandoned male newborn baby was discovered in a trash bin in one of the family's SM malls.

Without hesitation, Hans decided to shoulder the baby's medical expenses, entrusting him to an orphanage. The child later found his happy-ever-after family in the United States.

Hans is also a proud benefactor of Child Haus Manila, a temporary shelter indigent patients from different provinces who have cancer or other dreaded diseases and have no place to stay in Metro Manila while undergoing medical evaluation or treatment. It provides free room and board to its residents.

Child Haus, which veteran hairdresser Ricky Reyes established, is run along the principles of hospice care and promotes the concept of holistic healing through its various programs, services, and activities.

It all happened one night when Hans Sy, who was watching the TV with the late Henry Sy Sr., saw the philanthropist and beauty guru Reyes crying and pleading with the government to stop an eviction on the news.

Reyes' Child Haus was on the verge of getting evicted from the property where it was built.

Little did Hans know that his curiosity about why Reyes was crying on TV would be the start of something that would change his life forever.

"When he explained the incident, I felt that children should not suffer like this, and then I told Ricky, 'Can you show me where you moved them temporarily?' When I went to the house, it was so crowded and felt (that) this is not the right way. So immediately I decided to buy a house for them," Hans recounted.