2005 News Releases

• Company’s Canned Fruit Subsidiary To Provide 53,000 Cases of Peaches, Pears and Apricots To Texas, Louisiana Food Banks
• Sysco Corporation To Donate Services and Assist With Distribution

Boston– John Hancock Life Insurance Company (USA) today announced that it is donating $1 million worth of canned peaches, pears and apricots to survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita via the Houston and Baton Rouge food banks.

The company is donating approximately 53,000 cases of peaches, pears and apricots canned by Signature Fruit, its Modesto, California-based subsidiary, for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts.

“We know that one of the most pressing needs of the survivors of the hurricanes who have been displaced from their homes is non-perishable food items. Through Signature Fruit, we have the capacity to provide a significant amount of canned goods immediately and we are pleased to assist in the relief efforts,” said Warren Thomson, Executive Vice President, U.S. Investments, John Hancock Life Insurance Company (USA).

Signature Fruit is shipping the goods to Fort Worth, Texas. Sysco Corporation, a Signature Fruit customer, has donated its services and will transport the goods from Fort Worth for hurricane relief efforts in Houston and other Gulf Coast areas.

“We’re proud to be able to provide California-grown, hand-picked peaches, pears and apricots to help the storm survivors,” said Dave Long, President and Chief Executive Officer of Signature Fruit. “These are our highest quality fruits and we’re pleased to be in a position to help out in this way. We are thankful as well to our friends at Sysco Corporation who are helping in this important effort.”

“We sincerely appreciate this generous donation and cooperative effort by John Hancock and Sysco,” said Jackie Nally of the Houston Food Bank. “As the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita struggle with the massive disruption to their lives, even the simple pleasure of a good meal is welcome. We have thousands of people to feed daily and these much needed canned goods will help us and help them in this effort.”

Signature Fruit Company is the largest processor of peaches, pears and apricots in United States.

About John Hancock and Manulife Financial
John Hancock is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), 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$364 billion (US$297 billion) as at June 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.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including whole life, term life, variable life, and universal life insurance, as well as college savings products, fixed and variable annuities, long-term care insurance, mutual funds and various forms of business insurance.

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Brian Carmichael
(617) 572-6409