Manulife top leaders visit Insurance Commission, strengthening commitment to emerging markets in Asia and the Philippines

_{Present during the visit are (left to right): Arturo S. Trinidad, Director II and OIC-Technical Services Group, Insurance Commission; Richard Bates, President and CEO, Manulife Philippines; Sachin Shah, General Manager for Emerging Markets of Manulife; Dennis B. Funa, Insurance Commissioner; Ferdinand George A. Florendo, Deputy Insurance Commissioner-Financial Examination Group and Erickson H. Balmes, Deputy Insurance Commissioner-Management Support Services Group.} 

Manila, Philippines ― Top executives of international financial services provider Manulife, led by Sachin Shah, General Manager for Emerging Markets, and Richard Bates, President and CEO of Manulife Philippines, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Insurance Commission of the Philippines (IC). Welcomed by Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa, they discussed the company’s continuous commitment to provide best-in-class financial services and solutions, while driving its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives to emerging markets in Asia and the Philippines. Also present were Ferdinand George A. Florendo, Deputy Insurance Commissioner-Financial Examination Group; Erickson H. Balmes, Deputy Insurance Commissioner-Management Support Services Group, and Arturo S. Trinidad, Director II and OIC-Technical Services Group, Insurance Commission.

Highlights of the visit also include a discussion on the success of Manulife Philippines’ award-winning financial literacy program Peso Smart, which invests in the advancement of financial literacy and inclusion in the Philippines. Started as a series of face-to-face classes with public school elementary students on the importance of saving, budgeting, and investing, Peso Smart has evolved to address the needs of remote learning amid the pandemic. The program has also expanded to include university students to increase the financial transformation of the younger generation. Since its inception in 2017, Peso Smart has produced more than 400 graduates.

To learn more about Manulife Philippines’ various products, services, and initiatives, 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.