June 7, 2021
Manila, Philippines – As economic projections become more optimistic and recovery is underway amid COVID-19, Manulife Philippines and Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL) held “Growing Wealth Beyond Borders” webinars to help educate more Filipinos on the value of investing with resilience, to help ensure they have the needed life protection to build long-term financial growth.
These webinars, which featured Rex Mendoza, President and Chief Executive Officer of money and asset management advisory company Rampver Financials, provided insights into how Filipinos can take advantage of global investment opportunities and build more resilient portfolios that will allow them to reach their financial goals. With many asset classes available across different markets, Mendoza underscored the importance of diversification through asset allocation and variable unit-linked (VUL) insurance solutions to strengthen one’s portfolio in both bull and bear markets.
“Because markets evolve, especially in a crisis, and the pace of recovery in every country will be different, having a diversified portfolio is key to achieving the right investment. If you are concentrated in just one asset class, you will not do very well. Diversification has the capability to help you bounce back from adversity and even thrive despite the odds,” Mendoza said. “VUL policies can play a significant part in one’s asset allocation strategy as it gives you “the best of both worlds”―they protect you and your loved ones in the event of uncertainties, while providing investment opportunities to grow your wealth.”
Recently, Manulife added three new fund options to Manulife and MCBL’s VUL portfolios: the Tiger Growth Fund, which invests in innovative publicly traded companies in the growing economies of mainland China and Hong Kong; the US Growth Fund, which supports some of the largest and most profitable publicly traded companies in the United States; and the Global Preferred Securities Income Fund that invests in preferred securities of publicly traded companies worldwide.
“As most market forecasts see that economies are positioned to recover strongly post-vaccination, we want Filipinos to better understand the investment opportunities that are available to them, not only in the Philippines but in other major global markets as well, so they can leverage these instruments to better prepare for the future,” said Richard Bates, Manulife Philippines, President and Chief Executive Officer. “By helping them understand the value of VULs, they will have greater confidence to take charge of their finances, while protecting themselves and those that matter the most.”
“Aside from giving our customers easier access to global funds, our VUL products can also help them build their portfolio despite market volatility,” added Sandeep Deobhakta, MCBL President and Chief Executive Officer. “Through these products that are tailor-fit to match their investment appetite and personal journeys, we can help them reach their investment goals.”
At the webinars, Zed Matubis, Vice President and Head of Wealth Sales, Manulife Investment Management, also shared that for Filipinos looking to invest after COVID-19, “technology, communications, consumer, and discretionary growth securities are projected to do very well” given the trends in technological disruptions, deglobalization, and new monetary and fiscal policies that will transform economies and contribute to overall growth.
The Tiger Growth and US Growth Funds are available through Manulife’s Affluence Builder Plus and MCBL’s Invest plans, while the Global Preferred Securities Income Fund is offered through Manulife Philippines’ Affluence Max Elite and Affluence Max Gold, and MCBL’s Platinum Invest Elite and Affluence Max Elite.
To know more about these products, visit www.manulife.com.ph or www.manulife-chinabank.com.ph. To learn more about Manulife’s webinars, visit their Facebook page or their YouTube channel.
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 www.manulife.com.ph and following them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ManulifePH), Twitter (@ManulifePH), and Instagram (@manulifeph).
Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL) is a strategic alliance between Manulife Philippines and China Bank. MCBL provides a wide range of innovative insurance products and services to China Bank and China Bank Savings customers. MCBL aims to ensure that every client receives the best possible solution to meet his or her individual financial and insurance needs. In 2014, China Bank raised its equity stake to 40% in MCBL.
China Banking Corporation (China Bank), founded in 1920, is the country’s first privately-owned local commercial bank. It was listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 1927 (PSE stock symbol: CHIB), became the first bank in Southeast Asia to process deposit accounts online in 1969, the first Philippine bank to offer phone banking in 1988, and acquired its universal banking license in 1991. It provides a full range of banking products and services to corporate, commercial, and retail customers through 636 branches to date, including 162 branches of its retail bank arm China Bank Savings (CBS), complemented by its ATM network nationwide and internet and mobile banking alternative channels and services. It also offers a wide range of allied financial services through its subsidiaries China Bank Capital Corp., China Bank Securities Corp., China Bank Insurance Brokers Inc., and affiliate Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp. With nearly a century of enduring partnerships marked by quality service to its clients, with significant contribution to the country’s financial landscape, China Bank remains to be one of the largest, most respected, trusted, and stable financial institutions in the country.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider 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 our global wealth and asset management segment, Manulife Investment Management, serves individuals, institutions and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2020, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 118,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 30 million customers. As of March 31, 2021, we had CAD$1.3 trillion (US$1.0 trillion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $31.3 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.