New batch of public school students completes Manulife Philippines’ financial literacy program

Makati City, Philippines – Manulife Philippines’ Peso Smart program, a year-long financial literacy program designed to teach public school students the basics of saving, budgeting, and investing, has produced 29 graduates on its third year. The students who participated in the Peso Smart program are from Mandaluyong Addition Hills and Nueve de Febrero elementary schools in Mandaluyong, and Pembo elementary school in Makati. 

The Peso Smart program has been able to develop the financial management skills of its student-beneficiaries, as they learned how to manage a budget, set aside savings, and even explore different financial products that will help them fulfill their goals in life.

“At the end of the program, students were tasked to apply the lessons they learned by creating a financial plan for their family,” said Melissa Henson, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Manulife Philippines. “Because of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, we asked the kids to film their final presentations and send them to us digitally. We were happy with how they applied their lessons on earning, saving, and investing for their family and their future.”

In addition, the Peso Smart program also served as a volunteerism program for Manulife employees, who served as mentors to the students during their weekly lessons. 

The Peso Smart program was created in partnership with Hands on Manila (HOM), a non-profit organization that promotes volunteerism and sustainability, as part of their educational program Galing Mo Kid. HOM identified the partner schools and ensured that the financial literacy curriculum adheres to the requirements of the Department of Education.

“We have been receiving positive feedback from the parents that the Peso Smart really helped strengthen their family ties, as preparing for monthly expenses has become an open discussion with every family member,” said Gianna Montinola, President of HOM. “As we face these challenging times, working together as a family has become more essential.”

Since the program’s launch in 2018, the Peso Smart program has provided financial literacy courses to a total of 100 student graduate beneficiaries in four schools in Metro Manila.

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.

About Hands on Manila

Hands on Manila Foundation, Inc. (HOM), the first international affiliate of Points of Light, Inc. (formerly Hands on Network) in the Asia Pacific region, is a volunteer management organization committed to empowering individuals, groups, and corporations through meaningful service in their community.