2010 Communiqués de presse

Ho Chi Minh City – Manulife Vietnam has donated VND200 million to Operation Smile Vietnam‘s local mission in Ho Chi Minh City. Held at My Thien hospital from 10 -14 May, 2010, with support from a team of more than 40 medical volunteers, local doctors and nurses from the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology of Ho Chi Minh City and the My Thien hospital, this mission will provide free surgeries for approximately 100 children and young adults born with facial deformities in Ho Chi Minh city and other suburban areas.

For ten years, Manulife Vietnam has supported Operation Smile Vietnam with contributions of VND 2.2 billion to fund these important missions, aimed at bringing back thousands of smiles for disadvantaged children across the country. In addition to the financial support, a number of Manulife Vietnam staff and agents have joined missions as volunteers to assist the local Operation Smile teams with logistics work. 

With its reputation as the leading life insurance company in Vietnam, Manulife has made a long-term commitment to improving the quality of life for the local community, especially children. “We are very proud to again be the sponsor for the Operation Smile program that carries out this extraordinarily noble mission. Together with a highly specialized medical team, more than 30 staff and agents of Manulife Vietnam have given up their free time to make a difference to these children’s lives. The 45-minute surgeries offer immediate and life-altering results, giving hope and social acceptance back to children and their families. Our contribution today helps Operation Smile change young lives, one smile at a time,” said Carl Gustini, CEO & General Manager, Manulife Vietnam.

“In developing countries such as Vietnam, one in 500 babies is born with a facial deformity,” said Dr. Lam Hoai Phuong, Operation Smile Vietnam’s medical advisor and Head of   the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology of Ho Chi Minh City at a press conference today. Our efforts here in Vietnam would not be possible without the support of sponsors like Manulife. We thank Manulife for their generous ongoing support and dedication to truly making a difference to the people of this country.  Both their financial and volunteer contributions have served to help for the first time put smiles on the faces of thousands of Vietnamese children across the country in the past decade”.

About Manulife Vietnam

Manulife Vietnam – the first 100 per cent foreign-owned life insurance company licensed in Vietnam – provides financial services to 300,000 customers through a network of over 6,500 professionally qualified agents. Manulife has been operating in Vietnam since June 1999. On June 14, 2005, Manulife Vietnam Fund Management (MVFM), a wholly owned local subsidiary of Manulife Vietnam, was granted license to operate a fund management and portfolio management services, further expanding Manulife Vietnam’s product offerings for its customers.

Manulife Vietnam remains committed to supporting the communities, in which it conducts business in both educational and charitable activities, donating a total of more than VND 8 billion since 1999.  Some of the organizations and programs to which the Company has donated time and money include: the Vietnam Association for Promoting and Supporting Educational Development, Terry Fox Foundation, Operation Smile, Health Check and Care programs, Saigon Children’s Charity, National Library for the Blind, the annual Manulife Care and Let’s Help Children Go To School program.

About Manulife Financial

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$446 billion (US$440 billion) as at March 31, 2010.

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.

About Operation Smile:

Operation Smile is a leading humanitarian and medical relief organization dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults worldwide.  Operation Smile has nearly 25 years of experience in providing high-quality, safe surgical care to those in needs.  An idea that started out as one mission site in the Philippines in 1982 has grown to 45 medical/educational sites in 19 mission countries.   In Vietnam, Operation Smile Vietnam has provided surgery on more than 30,000 children who were born with hare lips and facial deformities over the last 20 years. For further information, please access www.operationsmile.org.vn.

Media Contact: