Actor Diether Ocampo is on the cover of Reader’s Digest Asia December 2009 issue.

The toothsome hunk is only the third Filipino to have had the honor after Manny Pacquiao and Michael V.

But unlike the boxer and the comic, Ocampo is not being recognized for his main occupation. Rather, the feature is for his philanthropic work through his “Kabataang Inyong Dapat Suportahan” (K.I.D.S.) Foundation.

The feat, which is deemed by most as somewhat of a big leap for the actor whose career had dimmed of late, is the second recognition Ocampo has received in 2009 for K.I. D. S.

Earlier this year, the 33-year-old’s humanitarian efforts got him a special invitation from Harvard University. He participated in the school’s On-Campus Conference Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR).

In the cover story dubbed “My Wish for New Year,” Ocampo reveals that he established the charity as a reflection of his own childhood, admitting that he came from humble beginnings himself.

“I haven’t forgotten that I come from a poor family,” the ABS-CBN contract star told Reader’s Digest Asia. “This [fact] keeps me grounded and grateful for what I have today.”

Ocampo is urging for “volunteerism,” encouraging readers to pay it forward this 2010.

Aside from Ocampo, the December 2009 issue features other inspiring Asians such as Malaysia’s Datin Paduka Sharifah Mazlina, the first Asian woman to trek to the Arctic and Antartic; Marina Mahathir, columnist, women’s rights activist and blogger; and Singapore’s Dr. William Tan, paraplegic and world record holder for fastest person to complete seven marathons in seven countries.