2010 Communiqués de presse

New branch to serve as center of Northeast Luzon operations

Manila– Manulife Philippines broke new ground in expanding its business operations in the Philippines by recently opening a branch in Santiago City, Isabela province.

The opening of the new Isabela branch office marks a pivotal point in the Company’s growth strategy, and had been prompted by the high potential for business in and around the Northeast Luzon region composed of the Aurora, Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino provinces.

“The opening of our Santiago City, Isabela branch office is in line with our strategic objective of aggressively expanding our business presence in key areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR).  Our Isabela branch will serve as the hub for our Northeast Luzon operations because of its optimal positioning and business potential in the area,” said Indren Naidoo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines.

Initially, there will be 26 full-time, independently-contracted agency leaders and sales associates operating out of the Isabela province.

To date, Manulife Philippines has 14 strategically located offices in various key areas nationwide which serve as hubs for more than 1,300 professional, Philippine Insurance Commission-licensed servicing agents.

“As our customer base continues to grow, we will be setting up new branches in various areas nationwide in order to respond faster to our clients’ servicing requirements,” added Naidoo. 

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, among the world’s largest and North America's largest life insurance company by market capitalization.

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 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$440 billion (US$420 billion) as at December 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:

Shyla Reyes                                                                           Lils Liwanag
M2.0 Communications                                                             Manulife Philippines
332-1031 local 103                                                                 884-5416
shyla.reyes@m2comms.com                                                  lils_liwanag@manulife.com