IWG launches four new workspaces in the Philippines

New centres cater to growing demand for flexible workspaces.

Workspace provider IWG has launched four new centres in the Philippines in May, catering to the increasing Filipino preference for hybrid work setups, and reflecting a broader global shift towards more flexible work environments.

Lars Wittig, Senior Vice President for APAC North at IWG, detailed the geographic and strategic spread of the new facilities. "We have launched four new centres just in this month of May, and they are really spread out both geographically and also across our various brands," Wittig stated. The new centres include locations in Angeles City, Metro Manila, Quezon City, and Makati.

The expansion is a response to the growing demand for hybrid work models, which blend home and office working to optimise productivity and work-life balance. "In the Philippines, there's a very high demand for hybrid work and it's growing. That's why we are doing the same when we opened centres earlier this month, which brought our centres to 31 locations," Wittig explained. 

He anticipates the number of IWG centres in the Philippines will reach over 40 by year-end, doubling the count from the previous year.

"Hybrid working has a lot to do with the health and the desire of the employees. What is the worst about your job, it's the commute. That's generally what people are saying, at the same time it is very bad for the environment with that commute, and it has really paid for the productivity," he noted.

"Specifically in the Philippines, it's interesting because just like in the rest of Southeast Asia, and actually globally, the trend is to go towards flexible working," Wittig remarked.

The rapid economic growth in the Philippines, particularly in the service sector, is creating more office jobs and thus fueling demand for flexible workspace solutions. IWG's strategy not only responds to the needs of Metro Manila but also caters to the broader national market, allowing companies to recruit top talent from across the country without requiring relocation. 

"We have centres in Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Cebu. We opened one in Angeles City, our second one in Pampanga. We are going to open later this year in Cavite and Baguio," Wittig added.

This expansion strategy by IWG not only addresses the commute issues in Metro Manila but also supports employers in reducing overhead costs associated with unused office spaces.