Net Lima Tower, Taguig — REGUS.COM

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

MULTINATIONAL office space provider International Working Group Plc (IWG) said it is optimistic about expanding in regional areas in the Philippines as more companies show interest in adopting work-near-home arrangements.

Marc Descrozaille, chief executive officer at IWG for the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, said some employees have been leaving their jobs when employers fail to provide flexible work arrangements.

“This trend means that now there is a need for working close to home. We are expanding into other districts, suburbs of the main cities, other cities, and other provinces,” Mr. Descrozaille told BusinessWorld last week.

“This expansion that we see throughout the world is particularly true in the Philippines — interestingly, more than in some of the surrounding countries, where much of the discussion is focused on the capital city.”

IWG has been applying the 15-minute city concept, Mr. Descrozaille said, which is an urban planning approach that ensures daily necessities and services are reachable within a 15-minute walk. This has led to the development of mixed-use spaces combining residential, office, and retail components.

The company has been focusing its expansion outside central business districts such as Ortigas, Makati City, and Bonifacio Global City, said IWG Country Manager for the Philippines Rowena Bravo-Natividad.

“Since the global pandemic, a lot of workers have moved back to their respective homes and refused to go back to [the traditional] office,” she said.

“So, it brought to life the third dimension of the hybrid working model, which is the work-near-home. It actually underpins the national expansion plan of IWG,” she added, noting IWG’s plans to expand in tier two and three cities.

At present, IWG operates 39 flexible workspace centers in the country under its brands Regus, Spaces, and Signature by Regus. It aims to have a total of 50 centers in the Philippines by yearend.

IWG said it has secured 14 new locations in the Philippines, with some sites already operational and others scheduled to open between the fourth quarter of 2025 and 2026.

These new locations include the Cebu Exchange Tower, Island Central Mall, and Asiatown IT Park in the province of Cebu.

In Makati City, IWG has secured new locations at the Century Diamond Tower, The Stiles Enterprise Plaza, the Laureano di Trevi Towers, and the Kalayaan Building.

Other new locations in the pipeline include E-Square Mall in San Juan City; Vertis North Plaza in Quezon City; Elijah Hotel and Residences in Dasmariñas, Cavite; The Galleon; Alveo Financial Tower in Bonifacio Global City; and Mabuhay IT Park in General Santos City.

“Our footprint outside urban hubs enables us to better serve businesses of all sizes and industries, supporting their growth and agility,” Mr. Descrozaille said.

IWG is also set to open its first Regus flexible workspace center in Tagbilaran, Bohol in October. The new 255-seat Regus center will be built in partnership with Uptown Tagbilaran Realty Corp.