CO-WORKING SPACES GAINING GROUND
Co-working spaces gain popularity
A GROUP of Japanese web developers has opened its first co-working space in Cebu City.
Located at the second floor of Arinda V. Paras Building on Don Gil Garcia St., iioffice offers office services that startups and entrepreneurs can rent for a flexible period.
iioffice founder Seito Horiguchi said the opening of co-working spaces across the world is driven by the rise of startups, the greater number of millennials in the work force, and the trend toward self-employment.
Horiguchi is also the president, a frontend developer, and coding trainer at LIG Philippines Inc., He has worked for three years in LIG Japan and has earned the “Design Awards Asia DOTD” and won Startup Weekend Bohol in 2015-2016. LIG is a web- development company based in Japan.
LIG Philippines Inc. leases the second level of the building. Knowing that the space is too huge for their small operation, the team decided to open it as a co-working space, hence, the birth of iioffice.
“Co-working spaces are part of the information and communications technology (ICT) revolution which has transformed the way work and business are done. iioffice makes Cebu a part of this global trend,” said Horiguchi.
“A co-working space is a flexible space where entrepreneurs and startups can work together in a common and a shared environment. What we offer is not just a place to work but a sense of community. iioffice is a space where people exchange information, and collaborate with each other for their projects,” he added.
Since its opening early this month, iioffice has hosted various events, including the HTML Cebu series of talk meetups for web developers.
ts facilities include a large kitchen, bar counters, refrigerators, conference rooms, focusing rooms, printer, highspeed Internet service, landline phones and flowing coffee.
Monthly membership at iioffice is at P5,000 inclusive of WiFi, refreshments, unlimited visits, and unlimited room usage. Drop-ins are at P500 per day with free WiFi and refreshments.
Ten individuals have already signed up for iioffice membership. The 230-square-meter facility can accommodate up to 60 seats. The office is open from 9 a.m to 7 p.m during weekdays.
At present, Cebu has two privately-run co-working spaces— one located in Cebu IT Park and one in Crossroads, Banilad. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has also set up a co-working space in the University of the Philippines-Cebu.
Ashley Uy, a tech startup advocate, said iioffice is a welcome development to Cebu’s growing startup community. She said co- working spaces are a better alternative for startups who can’t afford to open their own offices, or function halls for meetings or other activities. KOC