When we talk about living longer, healthier lives, the conversation often drifts toward medical advancements and retirement portfolios. But true longevity begins with the basics: knowing how to manage hard-earned money and having access to something as fundamental as clean water.
In the Philippines, Manulife is turning that vision into a boots-on-the-ground reality. Through an expanded wave of community investments, Manulife Philippines and Manulife Global Solutions (MGS) are weaving financial resilience and public health deep into the fabric of underserved regions.
Planting financial seeds early with Peso Smart
IMAGE CREDIT: Peso Smart
Financial literacy is rarely taught in traditional classrooms, leaving many young Filipinos to figure out money management through trial and error. Manulife is working to change that narrative early.
For the 2026–2027 school year, Manulife Philippines’ flagship financial literacy program, Peso Smart, has scaled its footprint to 26 public elementary schools nationwide, targeting over 2,700 learners. The curriculum introduces practical, age-appropriate lessons on budgeting, saving, responsible spending, and goal setting.
This year’s rollout carries a unique milestone: expanding into three farm schools in Negros Occidental — Cansilayan Farm School in Murcia, Manghanoy Farm School in La Castellana, and Eva J. Montilla Farm School in Cauayan.
Developed in partnership with the Schools Division Office of Negros Occidental and the Corazon Sanchez Atayde Memorial Foundation (CSAMF), the initiative brings essential financial education directly into agricultural communities.
“Financial resilience is one of the foundations of a longer and more secure life,” shares Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines. “Through Peso Smart, we’re helping young Filipinos build the knowledge, confidence, and habits to make informed financial decisions early.”
To celebrate last year’s milestones, Manulife recognized top-performing schools from the previous term — Ilugin Elementary School (Pasig City), Guadalupe Elementary School (Cebu City), and Cabantian Elementary School (Davao City) — rewarding each with brand-new laptop computers to further empower students and educators.
Tackling health at the source with Waves for Water
IMAGE CREDIT: Waves for Water
While financial literacy secures the future, health safeguards the present. Recognizing that good health starts with life’s most basic essential, MGS launched a robust three-year Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) program in partnership with Waves for Water Philippines.
Kicking off across vulnerable communities in Rodriguez and San Mateo (Rizal), as well as Lapu-Lapu City (Cebu), the initiative aims to deliver profound, long-term impacts:
- At least 450 water filtration kits
- 6 rainwater catchment facilities
- 26 water-efficient toilets equipped with septic tanks
- 60 standalone handwashing stations
- Comprehensive river rehabilitation and environmental stewardship training
Collectively, the program is projected to benefit more than 20,000 Filipinos.
In its initial phase alone, the partnership has already distributed 184 filtration kits and three catchment facilities to over 1,400 households, including the Dumagat indigenous community in Rizal.
“Good health starts with access to life’s essentials, and clean water is among the most fundamental,” notes Mark Woolfrey, Head of Global Shared Services, Manulife Global Solutions. “This collaboration reflects Manulife’s commitment to advancing health and wellbeing through practical, community-based solutions that create lasting impact.”
A unified vision for a longer life
Both programs form part of the broader Manulife Longevity Institute, a global initiative dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives through research, thought leadership, and community action.
By combining financial literacy in classrooms with clean water access in remote barangays, Manulife is proving that longevity is not just a healthcare metric—it is a community milestone built one practical solution at a time.
