2005 News Releases

Manulife Centre’s Christmas outing will enhance learning skills

Hong Kong- The Manulife Centre for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) will organise a special Christmas Outing on December 28, 2005 for its participants to enjoy this festive season at the Organic Garden, a 500,000-square-feet organic farm in Cheung Lek Village in Sheung Shui, Hong Kong. The theme of this outing is combining multi-sensory learning with healthy farming activities so as to help SLD children advance their learning capabilities. Follow-up assessments and training will also be arranged to track these children’s improvement.

The one-day farm trip is designed to take classroom learning outdoors, allowing the Centre’s children and their parents to learn and experience something new and interesting, such as organic farming. Apart from that, they can become “modern farmers” by making scarecrows, potting plants and harvesting fresh vegetables together. An organic lunch will also be served on the farm.

“Children need plenty of activities and mental stimulation; by organising this kind of farm outing, we hope to bring more fun to the children, enabling them to test their improved learning abilities, gained through intensive classroom training, in an outdoor environment,” said Dr. Alice Cheng-Lai, Person-in-Charge of the Manulife Centre at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and also a leading researcher and practitioner in the territory on the subject of SLD. “Activities such as this let us identify children’s learning potential, build their confidence and devise more effective training programs. The outing also provides an opportunity for children and their parents to spend some quality time together, away from the hustle and bustle so typical of Hong Kong. Parents can observe and understand how they can better help their children to learn.”

The enrollment fee for the Christmas Day Camp is HK$100 per adult and HK$90 per child aged 11 or below and no charge is required for children aged under three. Free lunch will be provided for each enrollment. Interested parties please contact the Manulife Centre at 2766 6313 for further details and registration.

Training camps such as this have been part of Manulife Centre’s regular programs every Easter, summer and Christmas since 1999. This Christmas marks the 22nd camp organised by the Manulife Centre and approximately 1,000 children have benefited over the years.

About Manulife Charitable Foundation
The Manulife Charitable Foundation is a non-profit organization set up by Manulife (International) Limited in 1998 to support and promote educational, health and charitable activities for the betterment of public welfare in Hong Kong. It has sponsored the Manulife Centre for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities since 1999 with a mandate to assist children with specific learning difficulties, and their parents and teachers, by studying how to identify children in need of assistance and help them develop to their full potential.

About Manulife (International) Limited
Manulife (International) Limited is a member of the Manulife Financial group of companies. Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$360 billion (approximately HK$2,404.3 billion) as at September 30, 2005.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

- 30 -

For more information please contact:
Helena Lee / Jeanie Ho
Manulife (International) Limited
Tel: (852) 2202 1050 / 2510 3191
Fax: (852) 2234 6875
Email: helena_lee@manulife.com
jeanie_ho@manulife.com