Common Ground launches flagship venue in Philippines

• This is Common Ground’s first venue to be set up outside of Malaysia
• Located in the penthouse of ArthaLand Century Pacific Tower in Bonifacio Global City

COMMON Ground, a Malaysia co-working space, announced its debut in the Philippines through a partnership with MVP Global Infrastructure Group (MVP Global) as part of its regional expansion strategy. This is Common Ground’s first venue to be set up outside of Malaysia.

Common Ground’s flagship venue in the Philippines will be located in the penthouse of ArthaLand Century Pacific Tower (ACPT) located in the heart of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Metro Manila. The 2,300 sqm space, which already has an expected 70% occupancy to date, will be able to house over 332 tenants.

Located in Manila’s rising business district, ACPT is not only a premium and sustainable property but also a designated Philippine Economic Zone Authority Information Technology Center (PEZA), Malaysia’s equivalent of the MSC Malaysia Status, which entitles PEZA-registered businesses to fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.  

MVP Global is a major player in the investment sector across Southeast Asia. The group has established a leadership position in the areas of infrastructure investments and cross-border activities with plans for further expansion into other areas in the coming years.

By partnering with a business like MVP Global that is familiar with operating in the Philippines, Common Ground is ensuring it will continue its promise of providing its members with a suite of local benefits. In turn, creating a business structure and culture which provides more opportunities than traditional working/coworking offerings.

“We’re very excited to be partnering with Common Ground as we believe that they are transforming work environments and building a highly-integrated platform for businesses to plug into. With this partnership, we’re combining resources to drive and support the ever-changing and evolving co-working lifestyle.

“This is a unique opportunity for members and tenants of our commercial buildings, as this provides them access to a regional ecosystem, enabling them to forge partnerships with like-minded individuals and businesses from other markets. The regionalisation of these relationships are an essential element for businesses looking to scale across Southeast Asia. We look forward to what this partnership will bring,” said MVP Global’s Enrique Gonzalez.

Through its partnership with MVP Global, the focus is to develop ArthaLand Tower into an entrepreneurial hub targeting business corporates and rising entrepreneurs as it is where over a third of the Philippines’ economic output is located.

Common Ground’s space within the financial and lifestyle district of BGC aims to create demand and encourage uptake among business corporates and rising entrepreneurs.

“We are very proud to be making our mark outside of Malaysia with the support of MVP Global. At Common Ground, it’s our vision to provide our members with local value, local services, and local partnerships. We believe that to build any successful business in this region, one needs to develop a strong foundation. In these individual and culturally different Southeast Asian markets, there is no better way to do this than to develop partnerships at a local level as it’s partnerships like these that help us shape our local value proposition.

“Local partners, like MVP Global, are in the strongest position to add the value needed to help the business thrive in the Philippines. Aligning with MVP Global who share the same values makes for a more exciting and beneficial relationship. We view this partnership as an amazing opportunity to provide a true value-add to all our end users,” said Erman Akinci (pic, above), co-founder of Common Ground.

Common Ground plans to expand its footprint in the Philippines with two upcoming venues already in the works. The second venue is set to be located in IBP Tower, situated in Ortigas, a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City within the Metro Manila district. Common Ground’s third venue will be located in the penthouse suite of the 8 Rockwell building situated in Makati’s high-end mixed-use area of Rockwell.

“By the end of 2018, we’re looking to have three Common Ground venues launched in the Philippines, with the other two located in Makati and Ortigas. We’re excited to be creating a footprint in some of the most prime locations across Manila city with penthouse suites in some of the most attractive and premium spaces. The goal is to build 15 communal and flexible office hubs here in the next eighteen months,” Erman added.