Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation named one of the top investment houses in the Philippines

MANILA September 8, 2020 – Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation received three recognitions from The Asset Benchmark Research Review 2020. The company was distinguished as one of the Philippines’ top investment houses for 2020, while two of its fund managers were ranked among the country’s most astute investment professionals.

“This is an important vote of confidence from top sell-side individuals in the local currency bonds market. In these volatile times, we are motivated more than ever to serve our clients’ needs through sound investment management,” said Aira Gaspar, President and CEO of Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation. “These recognitions inspire us to continue providing investors with the best investment management services to help them achieve their financial goals.”

In addition to the recognition as one of the Philippines’ top investment houses for 2020, two of the Company’s fund managers were ranked among the country’s ”Most Astute Investors” in the Asian local currency bonds: Jean De Castro, who was ranked fourth in 2020, marking her 11^th year on the list, and Starlyn See, who was cited as one of the country’s highly commended investors. They were recognized for their knowledge of credits and markets, trading skills, and acumen in making investment decisions.

The awards were based on The Asset Asian Local Currency Bond Benchmark Review, which aims to provide a wealth of data on investors’ product needs, as well as on the market penetration of institutions that are active in local currency bonds. It also provides detailed analysis on investors' buying behavior when selecting their counterparties. The Asset surveyed over 300 fixed income investors across China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. The investor base comprises local and regional institutions, including asset managers, hedge funds, and local and international banks. Insurance companies, pension funds, and trusts across Asia were also interviewed.

Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation is part of the global network of asset management companies of Manulife Investment Management, the global asset management arm of Manulife. It aims to provide investment solutions that can help clients grow their wealth portfolio according to their risk and return objectives.

Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation offers a wide range of unit investment trust funds for different risk profiles and investment objectives. Visit www.manulifeim.com.ph or call (02) 8884-7000 to know more about the Company’s investment products.

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About Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation

Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.) Inc. (Manulife Philippines). It provides investment solutions to both retail and institutional clients. The Company started its operations in September 2017. It is part of Manulife Investment Management, the global asset management arm of Manulife

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 leading life insurance companies in the country. 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 www.manulife.com.ph and following them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ManulifePH), Twitter (@ManulifePH), and Instagram (@manulifeph).

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 17 countries and territories. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We’re committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. As of June 30, 2020, Manulife Investment Management had CAD$900 billion (US$660 billion) in assets under management and administration. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2019, we had more than 35,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving almost 30 million customers. As of June 30, 2020, we had $1.2 trillion (US$0.9 trillion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $30.6 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 155 years. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

Disclaimer

The Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation’s products and services are trust and/or investment solutions and NOT deposit accounts, obligations of, guaranteed or insured by the Trustee or its affiliates. The Fund/s are not insured or governed by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC). Due to the nature of the investment, yields and potential yields cannot be and are not guaranteed. Any loss/income arising from market fluctuations and price volatility of the securities held by the Fund/s, even if invested in government securities, is for the account of the client/participant. As such, the units of participation of the investor in the Fund/s, when redeemed, may be worth more or be worth less than his/her initial investment contributions. Historical performance, when presented, is purely for reference purposes and is not a guarantee of similar future result. Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation is not liable for losses unless upon willful default, bad faith or gross negligence on its part. Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corporation, its products and services are regulated and governed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) with telephone number (02) 8708-7087 and email address consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph. For inquiries or complaints relating to our products and services, you may call our Customer Care Hotline at (02) 8884-7000 or send an email to phcustomercare@manulife.com. To know your rights under BSP Circular No. 857 (Regulations on Financial Consumer Protection), please access a copy at the BSP website (www.bsp.gov.ph).