2012 News Releases

Quezon City - In its aim to increase the pool of actuarial talent for the financial services industry, Manulife has announced new scholarships in 2012 for outstanding students and faculty, in partnership with the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman College of Science, the country’s premier state university.

The undergraduate scholarships are awarded to qualified freshmen and final year students at the UP-Diliman College of Science and are based on the students’ academic performance, financial situation and a written essay. Scholars are selected by a committee comprised of UP-Diliman College of Science faculty and Manulife executives.

Awards will be made for a professorial chair in actuarial science, undergraduate scholarships in B.S. Mathematics, and graduate scholarships in the Professional Masters in Applied Mathematics (PMAM) or M.S. Applied Mathematics (Finance) program. In addition, Manulife will offer internships to qualified students who intend to pursue careers in the financial services industry.

A total of 18 scholarships have previously been awarded under the program, since its inception in 2010 – seven in 2010 and another 11 in 2011. 

“This partnership, in its third year now, was born out of Manulife’s forward-thinking initiatives, since we wish to develop the actuarial profession in the Philippines. Through this partnership with the administration and faculty of the UP-Diliman College of Science, the community in which we operate will benefit in the long term because we are cultivating the business and analytical skills of future industry leaders,” said Indren Naidoo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Philippines.

“Manulife provides numerous career opportunities at our global shared service centre at the UP North Science and Technology Park, especially in the field of applied mathematics and actuarial science,” said Gigi Mantaring, Vice President and General Manager, Manulife Business Processing Services. “With our ongoing collaboration with UP-Diliman College of Science, we hope our scholarship program will encourage young hopefuls to consider a rewarding career in the actuarial field.”

For more details about the Manulife scholarships at the UP-Diliman College of Science, please contact the Dean’s Office at (02) 924-7392.

Photo shows the 11 Manulife scholars from the UP-Diliman College of Science – nine undergraduates, one Professional Master’s degree, and one professorial chair – along with university and Manulife officials.

At back (L-R) Jasper Cheng, Vice President for Corporate Planning & Valuation Actuary, Manulife Philippines (far left); Dr. Jose Maria Balmaceda, UP-Diliman College of Science Dean (3^rd from left); Indren Naidoo, President & CEO, Manulife Philippines (6^th from left); Gigi Mantaring, Vice President and General Manager, Manulife Business Processing Services (center); Dr. Ronald Banzon, UP Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (6^th from right); Prof. Aida Josef, AVP for Actuarial Services, Manulife Business Processing Services (5th from right); Dr. Marian Roque, UP-Diliman Institute of Mathematics Director (4^th from right); Josefina Joven, AVP for Investments and Finance Operations, Manulife Business Processing Services (3^rd from right); Margarita Lopez, Senior Vice President & COO, Manulife Philippines (2^nd from right) and Noli Manalo, Finance and Administration Director, Manulife Business Processing Services (far right).

About Manulife in the 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 leading life insurance companies in the country. Manulife Philippines is a wholly-owned domestic subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation.

Manulife Chinabank Life Assurance Corporation is a bancassurance joint venture company of China Banking Corporation (China Bank) and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.), Inc.

Manulife Business Processing Services (MBPS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manulife Financial created in 2006 to provide back office, accounting, finance and information technology services to other Manulife subsidiaries worldwide.

About Manulife Financial
Manulife Financial is a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. In 2012, we celebrate 125 years of providing clients strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We also provide asset management services to institutional customers. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$500 billion (US$491 billion) as at December 31, 2011. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

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 manulife.com.