Manulife Philippines celebrates 105 years of commitment
Manulife Philippines this month celebrates its 105th anniversary – in the same year that its global parent, Manulife Financial Corp., marks its 125th anniversary.
On Feb. 1, 1907, Manulife received its license to operate in the Philippines, and in 1923, Edwin E. Elser was appointed head of Manulife’s Manila Agency, and the company rapidly developed. Elser was consistently recognized for topping Manulife international sales records prior to the Ten years later, the company appointed as manager Dr. Edward Leverich Hall, an American from Shanghai, under whom Manulife established new production records. Hall was also recognized internationally for his outstanding contributions to public service in the Philippines.
“Arguably, Dr. Hall was the first officer of the company to recognize the need for the agency to go beyond just selling insurance. His recognition in the field of public service still inspires us today to be a more active member of the communities in which we operate,” said Indren Naidoo, current presi- dent and chief executive officer of Manulife Philippines.
The 1940s witnessed the courage and loyalty of Manulife employees, who risked their personal lives to care for the needs of Manulife expatriates interned at Santo Tomas University in World War II, and to protect customer records and funds.
One employee, in particular, demonstrated genuine commitment in securing those records. Paquita Gonzalez, Manila Agency’s office manager when World War II spread to the Philippines and the rest of Asia in 1942, inadvertently found herself to be the steward of the company’s official documents as well as thousands of dollars and pesos and negotiable securities.
To be caught with those records and such an amount would have risked arrest and even death, but despite the risks involved, Ms. Gonzalez showed laudable courage and ingenuity, stowing them in used clothing, in her ceiling and in various parts of her house.
“This was a proud moment in Manulife’s corporate history. Ms. Gonzalez embodied the company’s commitment to our clients by ensuring that their futures were secured even in times of crises,” added Naidoo.
So far in this second decade of the new century, Manulife Philippines has created unprecedented records for new business sales, including surpassing P1 billion in weighted insurance premiums on two consecutive years for the first time.
Under the leadership of president and CEO Indren Naidoo and his senior management team, Manulife Philippines is committed to being the industry’s leading multi- national, multi-product and multi- channel life insurance company serving the financial protection needs of Filipino families across the country.
“We in Manulife pride ourselves on providing strong, reliable, trustworthy and forwardthinking solutions for our clients’ most significant financial decisions. With such pedigree, we have a solid foundation to continue helping Filipinos improve their quality of life — by providing them with best- in- class life pro tec t ion , wealth, savings, education and health products that anticipate their needs and protect their future,” concluded Naidoo.