Asia PR News

BOSTON, Mass., July 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

The Hancock Timber Resource Group (HTRG) today announced that it has signed
an agreement to acquire the ownership interests of entities owning or
controlling more than 930,000 acres of timberland or timber rights managed by
the Harvard Management Company. Harvard Management Company is the investment
manager for Harvard University.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter and entities
managed by HTRG will acquire Harvard University-owned entities in New Zealand
and the United States. The timberlands and timber rights are located in Texas
(461,000 acres), Pennsylvania (135,000 acres), Washington (327,000 acres) and
the Central North Island of New Zealand (15,000 acres). Terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.

"We obviously are very pleased to reach an agreement to acquire these
outstanding properties," said Dan Christensen, HTRG’s president. "They are
well managed and highly productive timberlands and timber rights that will be
excellent additions to our investors’ portfolios."

"Beyond that, however, this acquisition represents an important step
forward for us and for our current and future investors who rely on HTRG to
build high quality, geographically diversified timberland portfolios for them.
As always, we will ensure that the management of all of our forests, including
the newly acquired ones, is conducted with a long-term, sustainable
perspective that benefits the environment as well as our clients."

HTRG, a division of Hancock Natural Resource Group, Inc, an operating
company of MFC Global Investment Management, manages timberland in the Pacific
Northwest and the Southeast United States as well as Canada, New Zealand and
Australia. Additional information about HTRG may be found at its website:
http://www.hancocktimber.com.

MFC Global Investment Management is the institutional asset management arm
of Manulife Financial Corporation. Based in North America with investment
offices in Toronto, Boston, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, the
firm has more than 100 years of experience managing funds. Additional
information about MFC Global Investment Management may be found at its
website: http://www.mfcglobal.com.

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$350 billion
(US$290 billion) as at March 31, 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 http://www.manulife.com.

Contact: Roy Anderson
Phone: (617) 572-6385
E-mail: rvanderson@jhancock.com

SOURCE: Hancock Timber Resource Group

CONTACT: Roy Anderson of Hancock Timber Resource Group,
+1-617-572-6385,
rvanderson@jhancock.com

Web site: http://www.hancocktimber.com
http://www.mfcglobal.com
http://www.jhancock.com
http://www.manulife.com