Product Showcase
Healthcare is human, and other insights from Havas Life
Part of the global Havas Health and You network, Havas Life works within a Village of experts from digital, social, media, CRM, e-commerce, and balances data, science, and creatives to come up with collaborative end-to-end solutions that help their clients reach consumers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) alike.
Healthcare communications is always a matter of human life. Havas Life, the medical marketing specialist arm of Havas Ortega musters a team of client servicing, creative, and healthcare practitioners to ensure that Science and Creativity are inspired and propelled by their Human Purpose philosophy. Part of the global Havas Health and You network, Havas Life works within a Village of experts from digital, social, media, CRM, e-commerce, and balances data, science, and creatives to come up with collaborative end-to-end solutions that help their clients reach consumers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) alike.
Key to the Havas Life team are two experts that cut their teeth as healthcare practitioners and medical communications specialists.
Amor H. Magno, DMD is the General Manager of Havas Life, the specialized business unit of the Havas Ortega group that offers business solutions to healthcare and wellness organizations.
Prior to joining Havas Ortega, Dr. Amor held various sales and marketing positions in the Pharmaceutical, Consumer and FMCG industries and has won a couple of Asia Pacific marketing excellence awards during her stint at GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson. She also worked with Merck Sharpe and Dhome, Fern C and Pfizer as a sales & marketing consultant where she positively impacted doctor prescriptions and overall sales.
This experience and connection resulted to Havas Life’s latest win with the Our Drugstore Man Inc (ODSMAN) business. ODSMAN is a digital, marketing, and supply chains solution for a wide range of brands and products including medical equipment, devices and supplies, refreshment, household, and restaurant products.
Blue Soon, MD, is the Senior Medical Consultant, and a practicing radiologist. Dr. Blue uses his medical and research background to ensure that science-based communications from Havas Life remain well-grounded in facts. He has been working in the advertising industry for the past 10 years. Starting with McCann Healthcare before joining Havas Ortega, he has helped shape campaigns for a wide range of ethical and consumer brands, including pharmaceuticals infant formula, scientific instruments, nutritional supplements, food and beverage, and medical institutions.
Dr. Blue provides unique healthcare professional insights, input on translation of scientific concepts and principles into colloquial language and creative executions, literature scanning for relevant research, and science writing.
Combining 3 decades of experience in the field of health
communications, Dr. Amor and Dr. Blue shares key signals of the future of
healthcare:
Health is now digital. So what?
As healthcare becomes more and more digital by the minute,
doctor-patient relationship should not only be tighter, but also more updated.
Dr. Amor shares, “The pandemic fast-tracked the healthcare industry’s shift
to digital. Thus, companies need to be more creative in communicating,
engaging, and connecting their brands to the people who need to know.”
“The job for medical communications is therefore twofold: to make sure doctors are aware of this trend; and to help them understand the shift in patient behavior so they can communicate with patients better. We as medical communicators can and should give doctors the tools to explain correct health information to their patients. With our broader understanding of the multiple communication channels available to patients, we are in a unique position to help them.”, Dr. Blue Soon expounds.
Science needs to be more human
“Removing science from the healthcare industry is like telling water not to be wet. But as HCPs, it is our duty to scrutinize information available out there. And at Havas Life we make sure that the Science doesn’t go over the heads of whoever we’re engaging with.”, starts Dr. Amor.
Dr. Blue adds, “I don’t think there is a thing as too much science; but there is a lot of poorly explained science, which leads to misunderstanding and ultimately, health decisions that do harm than good. This has also led to the anti-science establishment movement, where the non-science savvy layman can feel so overwhelmed by the information, and their inability to understand everything that they just shut down and stop listening.
It’s important to realize this as medical and science communicators. We should be able to explain science better; to create comms that cater to individuals with different levels of scientific experience and understanding.”
The better the knowledge, the better the quality of life
Dr. Amor shares, “At Havas Life, we have been increasingly focused on data to gives us a better understanding of the attitudes and behavior of HCPs and patients. With this, we can pinpoint the type of communication they want to be served and how they want to be served. Our philosophy in Havas Life is to make a meaningful difference by driving human purpose into everything that we do. At the end of the day, living is not just about surviving; Life is about thriving.
Dr. Blue adds, “The ability to gather and analyze more and more target audience data, as well as more targeted communication platforms, has led to an evolution in the way
we deliver messages. We no longer have to base our recommendations on what we feel, but on what can be proven to work.
“Now, this can easily lead to us dehumanizing our audience, to think of them as targets, and not as people. So, we now couple this with a renewed emphasis on Human Purpose. Our end goal is to make people’s lives better by helping them live healthier lives. And we are only using comms as a way to deliver the right information to them.
“Because we know this and keep this at the forefront of everything we do, I think it says we have a bright future ahead for Havas Life.”
Product Showcase
Sun Life appoints Bianca Ilibasic as Managing Director, Sun Life Global Solutions
She will lead SLGS across India and the Philippines, providing strategic direction to multi-functional teams spanning Technology, Operations, Analytics, Actuarial, HR, Finance, and Risk & Compliance.
Sun Life has appointed Bianca Ilibasic as the Managing Director for its global capability centre, Sun Life Global Solutions (SLGS). She previously served as Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Sun Life Asia.
In her new role, Bianca will lead SLGS across India and the Philippines, providing strategic direction to multi-functional teams spanning Technology, Operations, Analytics, Actuarial, HR, Finance, and Risk & Compliance. Her mandate is to further scale SLGS as a high-impact, enterprise capability supporting Sun Life across 28 markets.
During her time in Asia, Bianca advanced straight-through processing, accelerated digital adoption, and shaped a forward-looking AI roadmap to drive business growth — strengthening shared platforms and enabling scalable outcomes.
Commenting on the appointment, Laura Money, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Innovation Officer, Sun Life, said, “Over the past four years, Bianca has been a driving force behind operational excellence and digital transformation, leading with clarity, courage, and a deep commitment to our Purpose. Advancing our AI roadmap and scaling impact across common platforms, Bianca has been consistently delivering results while building strong, empowered teams. She is a visionary, insights driven leader who brings energy, heart, and ambition to everything she does, and I could not be more thrilled to see her step into this role.”
Reflecting on the opportunity, Bianca added: “I am excited to begin this new chapter. Sun Life Global Solutions is more than a capability centre — excellence, innovation, and dedication are consistently demonstrated via brilliant, passionate teams across India and the Philippines who support our Purpose and our Clients every single day. What excites me most is the opportunity to build on our foundation and deepen partnerships, accelerate transformation, and relentlessly focus on outcomes that truly matter to our Clients.”
Bianca’s appointment marks a defining moment for SLGS, strengthening its role as both a strategic engine for enterprise value and a platform where empowered teams can shape what’s next for Sun Life. We look forward to everything Bianca and the SLGS team will achieve together.
Product Showcase
Manulife continues legacy of service in PH with Impact Week 2026
All five Manulife organizations in the Philippines—Manulife Philippines, Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL), Manulife Investment Management and Trust Corporation (MIMTC), Manulife Business Processing Services (MBPS), and Manulife IT Delivery Center (MITDC)—held activities that advanced environmental, educational, and social causes.
Manulife hosted its inaugural Impact Week, a global volunteer initiative designed to strengthen well-being, build social connection and unite teams through purpose-driven community action.
All five Manulife organizations in the Philippines—Manulife Philippines, Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL), Manulife Investment Management and Trust Corporation (MIMTC), Manulife Business Processing Services (MBPS), and Manulife IT Delivery Center (MITDC)—held activities that advanced environmental, educational, and social causes.
“Manulife’s Longevity ambition is about helping people live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives—and we believe that starts with strong, resilient communities,” said Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines. “Impact Week brings this to life by mobilizing colleagues across our Philippine entities to volunteer at scale, working side by side with our community partners and reinforcing the shared purpose that strengthens long-term well-being. Through these collective actions, we are creating immediate impact and helping build a more sustainable and inclusive future for the communities we serve.”
Results and Highlights from Impact Week 2026
During Impact Week, more than 1,200 colleagues participated in volunteering activities, logging more than 4,700 volunteering hours.
Beyond the numbers, Impact Week strengthened connection across teams, bringing colleagues together around shared purpose and reinforcing a culture of inclusion.
- Ongoing tripartite impact: As part of a tripartite collaboration with the Corazon Sanchez Atayde Memorial Foundation (CSAMF) and Haribon Foundation—combining Manulife’s community investment commitments, CSAMF’s financial literacy program, and Haribon’s biodiversity and environmental work—Manulife Philippines, Manulife China Bank Life (MCBL), and Manulife Investment Management and Trust Corporation (MIMTC) led the on-ground activities in Infanta, Quezon Province.
- Supporting financial resilience through Peso Smart: Volunteers supported Peso Smart Pinoy (PSP) through challenge-based activities in Brgy. Alitas, Infanta, culminating in a graduation ceremony recognizing PSP participants and their progress toward greater financial confidence. Peso Smart is a financial literacy program that has reached more than 4,000 learners across 18 schools nationwide since 2017,
- Contributing to a healthier planet: Volunteers, together with Haribon Foundation and the Alitas Farmers Folks Association (AFFA), planted 2,500 mangrove seedlings, advancing the Ridge-to-Reef Reforestation Initiative and adding to Manulife and Haribon’s total of more than 31,000 trees planted since 2023.
- Prioritizing health and well-being: Volunteers partnered with Rise Against Hunger Philippines and Waves for Water Philippines to support food security and water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives. Together, they packed 17,700+ rice meals, rescued 1,200+ kg of surplus food, distributed 500 hot meals, produced 3,300 mushroom bags for livelihoods, assembled 150 water filtration kits, and developed 100+ concepts for food bank and mobile kitchen initiatives.
- Supporting community education: MITDC delivered its Code4Future program to 28 young learners from St. Martin de Porres Kid’s Home—using coding and creativity to build problem-solving skills and digital confidence.
Extending Impact Together
In addition to the company organized activities, individual colleague teams across the Manulife organizations were supported in leading their own volunteer initiatives with local non-profit partners. For each eligible team-led initiative, Manulife provided a $1,000 donation to the partner organization, extending the reach of Impact Week.
“The most meaningful work is often personal. At Manulife, volunteerism grows when people are trusted to lead on the causes they care about,” said Ardhi Siregar, Chief People Officer, Manulife Philippines. “That’s why we empowered our teams to identify a community impact need, choose a local non-profit partner to collaborate with, and lead the effort themselves—with team grants helping extend that impact through added support where it matters most. That sense of ownership and purpose is what fuels deeper engagement and inspires our colleagues to drive impact that endures.”
With more than 13,000 volunteering hours logged across all Philippine entities in 2025, Impact Week 2026 reflects Manulife’s growing culture of service in the communities where it operates and stands to make a difference.
Volunteering: A Longevity Driver Impact Week aligns closely with the work of the Manulife Longevity Institute, a global research, thought leadership, innovation, advocacy, and community investment platform that will help people thrive at every age. The Institute’s work will support Manulife’s Impact Agenda strategy as our always-on commitment to drive better outcomes for our customers, our communities, and the world we share. We believe collective action can accelerate change and, by collaborating with like-minded partners, we can make a meaningful impact.
Product Showcase
Manulife launches GoalReady health solutions
GoalReady for Health combines investment-linked savings with critical illness and life protection—helping customers build their funds while protecting their goals if a serious illness strikes.
Manulife Philippines and Manulife China Bank Life (MCBL) today announced the launch of Manulife GoalReady for Health, an investment-linked savings plan with comprehensive critical illness and life insurance coverage.
GoalReady for Health combines investment-linked savings with critical illness and life protection—helping customers build their funds while protecting their goals if a serious illness strikes. Designed for Filipinos who want to stay on track with their long-term goals, it helps manage the potential financial disruption caused by health setbacks.
As more Filipinos plan for longer lives, staying on track with their life goals increasingly means being prepared for rising healthcare costs, prolonged illness, and the financial strain health setbacks can place on families. The plan addresses the growing gap in financial preparedness for health emergencies among Filipinos. The recent Manulife Asia Care Study revealed that about four in five Filipinos believe their financial wellbeing has great impact on their health span (both physical and mental) and lifespan.
The financial stakes are steep: A study on the economic impact of cancer in the Philippines found that Filipino patients spend an average of ₱181,789 out-of-pocket within the first year of diagnosis, highlighting the significant financial burden of treatment. Yet Filipinos remain financially underprepared for these possibilities. According to latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Filipinos’ household out-of-pocket for medical expenses stood at 42.7%, while a recent Manulife study found that 33% of Filipinos feel they have insufficient insurance coverage.
GoalReady for Health enables customers to build a dedicated pool of savings for future health needs through professionally managed, investment-linked fund options designed to support long-term goals. At the same time, it provides built-in critical illness protection, helping customers stay on track with their plans even when a serious health event occurs.
“Many Filipinos work hard to build toward their goals, but a serious illness can quickly turn years of progress into an unexpected financial burden. Manulife GoalReady for Health brings together critical illness protection and investment-linked savings for future health needs, helping customers stay financially prepared while protecting what they’ve worked hard to build,” said Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines.
“With Manulife GoalReady for Health, we want Filipinos to move forward with confidence, knowing that a health shock need not become a financial setback—so they can focus on recovery while keeping their savings and life goals on track, and live better for longer,” Hora added.
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