Manulife Awards PHP1M Cash to Help Individuals Start Their Stories

Five individuals are sharing Php1 million for sharing stories that represented their hopes and dreams. Manulife Philippines recently launched the #StartYourStory campaign to encourage Filipinos to take that first step toward turning their dreams into reality.

“Our #StartYourStory campaign encourages everyone to pursue their aspirations and take steps to make those dreams happen. We introduced this contest as part of the campaign to make that message more tangible,” said Ryan Charland, Manulife Philippines’ President and CEO.

The hundreds of stories submitted mostly centered around dreams for their families. Luz Desquitado, the first winner, shared how her family had to sell their house 11 years ago when her mother had a stroke, and how she dreams of building a new one today. The winning story from Gizelle Acapulco tells of her father who lost his legs in an accident during his seafaring years and needs to replace his old prosthesis. Ana Maria Lourdes Manalo, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) mother, shared her story of coming home for good to be with her family after she and her husband worked overseas for 25 years.

Personal dreams and those involving loved ones were also popular themes. Lloyd Mickel Gaba shared how he wants to give his girlfriend the best wedding, after they had to forego the ceremony due to the unplanned arrival of their daughter. Gae Bolado, on the other hand, hopes to return to school after she had to stop due to financial constraints.

“At Manulife we help people with their big financial decsions in order to make their dreams come true, and we are happy that this contest has helped five people start their stories today.” added Charland.