Manulife Philippines honored at the UN Women 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards for workplace gender inclusivity efforts

MANILA – Manulife Philippines was recently named by the United Nations (UN) Women 2020 Asia-Pacific Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards as one of the Philippines' most gender-inclusive workplaces. The insurer won 2nd runner-up in the Gender-Inclusive Workplaces category and is the only insurance brand to have been recognized in this year’s awards.

 The 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards, sponsored by WeEmpowerAsia, a joint program of UN Women and the European Union, is the first regional awards initiative that aims to encourage, value, and recognize the efforts of individuals and businesses to promote gender-inclusive cultures and the achievement of gender equality in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

"Manulife Philippines is committed to making every day better for our customers, our distributors, our employees, and the communities we operate in. Ensuring a gender-inclusive workplace that grows and empowers every member of our team, regardless of gender, is very important for us to achieve this goal. We sincerely thank the UN Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards for recognizing our efforts,” said Richard Bates, President and CEO of Manulife Philippines. “This recognition inspires us to empower every woman across Manulife Philippines to fulfil their aspirations in their career and life, as they grow into strong individuals and leaders, and contribute to the development of a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society.”

As part of Manulife Philippines' commitment to fostering gender inclusivity, its executive committee maintains 50 percent female representation, ensuring that women have an equal seat at the table when it comes to decision-making. The company has also invested heavily in training and growth opportunities for its insurance advisors, 71 percent of which are female. In addition, Manulife Philippines has seen increased membership and participation in its Global Women's Alliance (GWA), an employee-led women's group that supports and encourages the recruitment, development, and advancement of women throughout the organization.

The 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards is the latest accolade received by Manulife Philippines for its efforts in building a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture. In October, it had also been recognized as one of the country's Best Employer Brands for 2020 by the Employer Branding Institute, World HRD Congress, and Stars of the Industry Group. The award highlighted Manulife Philippines' strategy and innovation for talent management and its organizational culture, allowing employees to thrive, celebrate, and care for each other.

About Manulife Philippines

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 country's leading life insurance companies. Manulife Philippines is a wholly owned domestic subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation, among the world's largest life insurance companies by market capitalization. Learn more about Manulife Philippines by visiting their website manulife.com/ph and following them on Facebook (facebook.com/ManulifePH), Instagram (@manulifeph), and LinkedIn (Manulife Philippines).

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in our ambition to be the number one choice for customers, we operate as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945’ on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.