Global flexible workspace leader International Workplace Group (IWG) is breaking new ground by managing a healthcare facility for the first time through a partnership with the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO).
The agreement, signed on Tuesday in Taguig City by APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV and IWG Philippines Country Manager Rowena Natividad, authorizes IWG to operate the PHP16.83-million Super Health Center in Casiguran.
The facility, funded by APECO, will provide much-needed healthcare services to the ecozone’s community and prospective investors. It is also envisioned as a first step toward developing “Silver Town” retirement facilities within the ecozone.
“This partnership marks IWG’s first business model outside flexible offices,” Taway said in an interview on Wednesday. “That they chose APECO as the starting point underscores rising investor confidence in Bagong APECO and highlights the potential of Aurora as a global investment destination.”
For IWG, the Casiguran venture is unprecedented in its international operations. Natividad explained that Aurora’s strategic location and natural environment make it ideal for a health and wellness hub. “This project will enhance local access to quality care while creating new opportunities for medical and retirement investments,” she said.
Under its new leadership, APECO has adopted what Taway calls a “bold, proactive strategy” to unlock public assets by inviting private companies into co-developments and public-private partnerships (PPPs). (PNA)