PPF Hancock John Patriot Pfd Div

BOSTON, May 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In connection with the reorganization of Patriot Preferred Dividend Fund (NYSE:PPF) into the John Hancock Patriot Premium Dividend Fund II (NYSE:PDT), the fund declared a special cash dividend today as follows: Declaration Date: May 24, 2007 *Record Date: May 25, 2007 *Payment Date: May 29, 2007 Dividend Amount: $0.21186 * Record and payable date are contingent upon merger being effective May 29, 2007 The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial Services, John Hancock Funds manages more than $56 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at March 31, 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.jhfunds.com/. About Manulife Financial and John Hancock John Hancock Financial Services is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, 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$426 billion (US$370 billion) at March 31, 2007. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial may be found on the Internet at http://www.manulife.com/. DATASOURCE: John Hancock Patriot Preferred Dividend Fund CONTACT: Media, Kimberley Dietrich, +1-617-663-4217, or Investors: +1-800-843-0090, both of John Hancock Web site: http://www.jhfunds.com/ http://www.manulife.com/

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