A Life Of Service

Though a successful accountant, Phillip Tan would much rather be remembered for adding value to people’s lives.

- Phillip Tan

PHILLIP TAN HADN’T yet entered kindergarten when he gleaned his first lesson in kindness. A beggar had come knocking at the door and, with encouragement from his nanny, the youngster scooped out some rice and gave it to the elderly man.

“I didn’t know that was an act of kindness. I just knew the uncle looked happy, and that made me happy,” recalls Tan. “That’s when I learnt that giving can create happiness.”

This childhood memory explains why Tan, now a father of three and grandfather to four, still finds joy in extending his helping hand. It can be as simple as picking up a bottle of medicinal wine for a terminally ill patient, or as considerable as chairing the Community Chest (ComChest), the largest fundraiser in Singapore’s social service sector.

In the 40 years since he started volunteering actively, he’s also seen a groundswell of compassion in the national psyche. For instance, a Care & Share @ SG50 movement, which launched in 2013, led some 240 welfare organisations to raise a total of $800 million. The figure far surpasses the original $500-million-target for the 28-month fundraising and volunteerism drive that culminated in 2016.

Founded in 1983, ComChest began as an organisation that provides for the immediate needs of the social service sector. It has evolved into one that imparts thought leadership and future planning while helping to seed and pioneer new services and serve as a catalyst for a more inclusive society.