ON Saturday, Mr. Henry Sy Sr. died at the remarkable age of 94. We offer our condolences and prayers on his passing.
Over the next days we will read about his life and legacy. Some from the younger generations may discover that his SM Group of companies is actually the shortened version of “Shoe Mart,” and the “BDO” bank started its corporate life as Acme Savings Bank and was renamed to Banco de Oro Savings and Mortgage Bank when purchased by Henry Sy.
His story of being born in Fujian, China, and coming to the Philippines at age 12 to join his father who operated a sari-sari store in Quiapo, Manila, will be told, as well as his rise to being one of the 100 richest people on earth. As the wealthiest man in the Philippines, Mr. Sy’s business conglomerate employed tens of thousands directly and many times more than that indirectly.
Anecdotes will also tell of his walking unassumingly on a busy Saturday afternoon through one of his department stores, looking like an ordinary shopper. His philanthropic works will be written, in particular his commitment to Philippine social development through education.
Yet does any person merit accolades and admiration for being successful and wealthy? What makes a “Henry Sy”?
He has been quoted as saying, “You have to have a dream, whether big or small. Then plan, focus, work hard and be very determined to achieve your goals.” And this: “Success is not just good luck: it is a combination of hard work, good credit standing, opportunity, readiness and timing. Success will not last if you do not take care of it”. While those are excellent words of advice, they are certainly not unique or earth-shattering ideas.
In his 1913 novel Fortitude, British author Hugh Walpole began with this paragraph: “It isn’t life that matters! It is the courage you bring to it…this from old Frosted Moses in the warm corner by the door. A little boy, Peter Westcott, heard what old Frosted Moses had said, and turned it over in his mind.”
Courage is defined as “the ability to do something that frightens a person” and “strength in the face of adversity.” We sometimes confuse courage with “heroism” or bravery, such as a soldier on the battlefield or a firefighter going into a burning building to save a life. But the bravery of heroism often comes from being put into an extreme situation. Courage can be something experienced by every person every single day.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”—Winston Churchill. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”—Walt Disney. Every man or woman who gets up in the morning to provide for his or her family is bringing courage to his or her life. Every young man or woman who fights the traffic and weather to get an education is bringing courage to his or her life.
The reason we honor and need to learn from men such as Henry Sy Sr. is that they bring courage to their lives every single day. They never stop and they never waver. Our BusinessMirror founder, the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, expressed it this way: “Whether you’re rich or poor, everyone has 24 hours in a day. It’s what you do with your 24 hours that counts.”