BOSTON, March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Patriot Premium Dividend Fund II (NYSE: PDT) declared its monthly distribution today as follows:

    Declaration Date:   March 2, 2009
    Ex Date:            March 10, 2009
    Record Date:        March 12, 2009
    Payment Date:       March 31, 2009
    Dividend Amount:    $0.0550

This dividend equates to an annualized yield of 11.70 percent, based on the fund's closing market price as of February 27, 2009.

John Hancock Patriot Premium Dividend Fund II is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to provide common shareholders high current income consistent with modest growth of capital. The Fund pursues its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying preferred and common stocks.

About John Hancock Funds

The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than $38.8 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at December 31, 2008.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as 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$405 billion (US$330 billion) at December 31, 2008.

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 www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Patriot Premium Dividend Fund II