Manulife’s Peso Smart x RecoveREADS program expands to 6 schools, 300 students and 4 LGUs to help strengthen financial literacy among the country’s youth

Manila, Philippines ― Manulife Philippines’ award-winning financial literacy program Peso Smart is expanding to benefit 300 students from six schools in Pasig, Makati, Baguio, and Albay via Peso Smart X RecoveREADS. This marks the first time that Peso Smart will reach Filipino students beyond the National Capital Region, teaching them smart money habits and helping enrich financial knowledge and behaviors at a young age. 

Peso Smart x RecoveREADs, which started in 2020 in partnership with Corazon Sanchez Atayde Memorial Foundation (CSAMF), aims to equip students with learning kits that include an activity journal based on Manulife’s Peso Smart modules, which teach children the basics of saving, budgeting, and investing. In addition, Manulife employees will train volunteer teachers and parents so they can guide the students’ learning progress even while at home.   

“We are happy that due to positive responses from our school partners and students during our pilot run, we can expand Peso Smart x RecoveREADS to reach more Filipino students throughout the country,” said Melissa Henson, Chief Marketing Officer, Manulife Philippines. “We are delighted to help more children learn smart money habits at a young age. Financial literacy is one of the best ways to invest in our youth, because it plays a key role in empowering their financial wellbeing, arming them with knowledge and confidence that can help them build a financially secure future.” 

For school year 2021-2022, 300 students from Bambang Elementary School, Buting Elementary School, and Francisco Legaspi Memorial School in Pasig; Pembo Elementary School in Makati; Guisad Valley National High School in Baguio; and Gubat Elementary School in Albay are getting a head start in their financial literacy journey through Peso Smart.  The program expands the successful pilot that ran during the 2020-2021 school year, at two public elementary schools in Pasig City: Francisco Legaspi Memorial School and Buting Elementary School, where 100 students participated. 

CSAMF Executive Director Margaux Romero Atayde added: “We are grateful for Manulife Philippines’ continued support and commitment to help elevate financial literacy in the country, as this also aligns with our own goal of encouraging young Filipinos to develop their love for learning. We look forward to another successful year of sparking motivation, confidence and financial understanding through Peso Smart x RecoveREADS.” 

Manulife’s Peso Smart was launched in 2017 as a series of face-to-face weekend classes dedicated to teaching the value of saving and investing to grade six elementary students. Since the pandemic in 2020, Peso Smart has evolved to address the demands of remote learning. More than 200 students have graduated from the program since its inception. 

To know more about Peso Smart, visit Peso Smart. 

For more information about Manulife, you may follow their Facebook page or visit manulife.com/ph.

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.