2009 News Releases

Manila - Since 2006, Manulife Philippines has partnered with the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation, Inc. in support of the foundation’s programs to establish Community-Based Rehabilitation in response to the need for adequate rehabilitation services for less privileged people with disabilities.

As part of the Company’s corporate citizenship activities for the year, Manulife Philippines employees took time to attend a day-long program on common developmental conditions conducted by the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation. The session also included interactions with lay volunteers from Mandaluyong City and actual visits to the homes of underprivileged children with special needs like Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and Down Syndrome among others. The program was designed to increase the employees’ understanding of people with special needs, as well as acquiring the basic skills useful for performing voluntary services to the community in the near future.

The photo attached shows the initial batch of Manulife Philippines employee participants with the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation team headed by Prof. Archie David (center).

About R.E.A.C.H. Foundation, Inc.
The R.E.A.C.H. (Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Adults and Children with Handicaps) Foundation is a non-profit organization, established in response to the need for adequate and appropriate rehabilitation services for less privileged people with disabilities. Its aims are to rehabilitate and assist differently-abled individuals to achieve their optimum potential to facilitate community integration.

The foundation is anchored on the principles of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), which fosters People Empowerment and Community Integration through various training activities. In CBR, the differently-abled person, the family, the community and health professionals collaborate to provide needed services in non-institutional and direct community settings where services for differently-abled persons are limited or totally absent. At the heart of the foundation’s programs are lay community volunteers who skillfully render free therapy services in depressed communities.

About Manulife
The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company opened its doors for business in the Philippines in 1907. Since then, Manulife’s Philippine Branch and later The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.), Inc. (Manulife Philippines) has grown to become one of the leading life insurance companies in the country. Manulife Philippines is a wholly-owned domestic subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation, the world's fourth largest and North America's largest life insurance company by market capitalization (as of April 30, 2009).

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$405 billion (US$322 billion) as at March 31, 2009.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

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Media Contact:
Lils Liwanag
Manulife Philippines
884-5416
lils_liwanag@manulife.com