These Work-Friendly Spaces Have Just Opened in the Philippines
Let’s admit it: The hybrid work setup, which companies have adopted across the world, is no temporary thing. For a lot of workers, it's more convenient to be able to work from home or wherever else they prefer, rather than having to report to the office every day.
This shift is what triggers the demand for more work-friendly locations. In the Philippines, more than half (51 percent) of employees prefer the hybrid work model, or a combination of both working from home and reporting to the office, on the back of rising foreign investments and strong gross domestic product (GDP) numbers, according to PwC.
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Enter IWG, a global provider of hybrid working solutions, which has opened four new “state-of-the-art” coworking spaces in the Philippines. These include one at Spaces in Makati; one at HQ Triumph Building in Quezon City; and two Regus centers at Adriatico in Manila and Nepo Center in Pampanga.
“We see immense potential in the country’s hybrid work landscape,” Lars Wittig, senior vice president for Asia-Pacific North at IWG, said. “These new [centers] are a testament to the fact companies are [realizing] flexible working is an enabler of employee productivity and improves sustainability.”
IWG pointed out how the pandemic served as a gateway for companies to realize employees can be “very trustworthy and capable,” regardless of whether they are working from the office or not.
“It was a lesson for the employers that you don’t need to measure your employees by a timesheet,” said Wittig. “We also have to remember we have a very young population here. The younger it is, the more hybrid people who want to work.”
With the recent additions to its portfolio, IWG now has 31 coworking sites in the Philippines, and it looks to increase the number to 40 by year-end. The company, based in Switzerland, pointed out local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been benefiting from these workspaces. Half of its clients are Philippine-based companies, while the other half are foreign.
“These latest openings are aimed at strengthening our expansion plans while leveling up the quality of the nation’s infrastructure to drive its economy into the future,” Wittig said.
