This is the first installment of a series on unusual facilities in Baguio City! This time, I would like to introduce a coworking space that just opened a few days ago. When I visited, it was priced at an unbelievable 30 pesos per hour, but I’d like to introduce the whole story of how it works at such a low price!
Location of Gen’96 Co-Working Space
Gen’96 Co-Working Space is located north of downtown Baguio City, about a 10-minute walk from the Public Market, the city’s kitchen.
This area is home to many local universities, so there is a high concentration of restaurants, cafes, and stores selling imported foods. I personally find this area quite interesting because you can discover many things just by walking around. I wish my school was closer to here, but it is a bit far from where I am staying.
If you can get to the square at the bottom of Session Road, there is a jeepney station that goes in that direction, and you can get on a jeepney going to “AURORA HILL” in less than 5 minutes. Get off at about the same place as the jeepney station.
The area where you get off is a little more local. Walking down the street, you will see an office building called “PCMCO Building” with a milk tea shop on the first floor.
Inside the facility and fees
This coworking space is built using one room in an office building, and the space is only about the size of a small convenience store. When we visited (as of January 2024), it was open from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, a fairly long span of time.
There are four simple box seats separated by partitions and about 10 other open seats. The chairs are reasonably comfortable. Each seat is equipped with a charging port, so you can bring your own electronic devices to work.
And, of course, wi-fi is available; I worked with music on You Tube and uploaded my blog with no problem at all.
And to our delight, coffee and hot tea are free of charge. The coffee was not drip coffee, but rather coffee in a tank, and the taste was not that great, but considering the price, I think it is a sufficient service.
As for the price, during the soft opening period from January 8 to 13, 2024, it was only 30 pesos (about 78 yen) per hour. There is no registration fee, etc. I stayed for 2 hours and the fee was of course only 60 pesos.
There was no clear fee structure posted after the soft opening period, but the staff told me that the basic fee would be 45 pesos. However, I was told that there is a discount from there, minus 5 pesos for students and 5 pesos for repeaters.
Impressions after actually using the service
I have used working space-like services in Japan from time to time, but the environment was very comfortable, just like in Japan. My personality is such that I cannot concentrate in a place like home, so I was able to concentrate on my work in a different environment.
There is no background music in the store, and you can hear the ambient sounds in their natural state. The street leading up to this location is quite a busy area, but the building itself is located down a little alley, so I don’t hear any car noise. If you use earphones with a noise canceling function, the sound is hardly noticeable.
I only used the restaurant for two hours on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and I was the only customer. I guess it is because the store has just opened and is not yet well known, which is why it was quite open.
There was only one male staff member, but he was very friendly and welcomed me, a foreigner who had come here on a whim. Also, after greeting me briefly and explaining about the facilities, he was very quiet, so I think he maintained a good distance.
Lastly, while other working spaces in Japan and other places in the Philippines may have a full food menu, this one does not. I’m sure that’s not true at all, but I feel like I have to ask for something, and it costs extra money. Perhaps the profit from food is also a pillar of the operation of such facilities, but I would feel more relaxed without it.
Summary
In this article, I introduced a new coworking space in Baguio. I was attracted by the very cheap price and went there, but I was quite satisfied with the current situation. After all, it was only 30 pesos.
Even after the soft opening period, the basic price is 45 pesos, which is a huge price difference compared to Japan. By the way, there are other facilities like this in Baguio, and they also seem to be very popular. But it costs 500 pesos if you use it normally….
I was wondering how long they can run the place since it is so inexpensive. I recommend that you check their Facebook page for updates and gather information before you visit.
One last point, what about studying or working in a cafe in the Philippines? From my observation, it is tolerated in most stores. So many students study at McDonald’s or other places just like in Japan. However, there were some Tik Tokers who complained there.
外国人ブロガーがスタバの混雑に苦言。ブロガーの男性はバギオ市のスタバが勉強する学生や仕事をする個人に占拠されて混雑しており抹茶ラテを買えなかったと不満を漏らした。視聴者からはフィリピンには図書館などの公共スペースが不足していて仕方ないとの意見が寄せられた。https://t.co/xwUGMfPeSP
— フィリピンのニュースあれこれ (@pharekore) November 13, 2023
As long as you are here as a language student, there should be a study space in most schools, so there may not be much demand for such a place, but it might be a good idea to go there for a change. Please make sure you have the necessary information before you go there.
Extra Info: Internet cafes (PC rooms) in the Philippines
There are several interesting stores on Lower Bonifacio St., a big street right next to the store we visited this time, and one of them is a kind of Internet cafe. One of them is a kind of Internet café. I did not use it this time, but a quick look inside showed that there were quite a few young people enjoying playing games.
I did not know about the performance of the computers, but I guess they are selling high spec machines with high speed internet access. If you are having trouble with slow wi-fi at your language school, you may be able to have a comfortable time here. Please let us know if you have any problems, and we will be happy to help!