Finally, a coworking space in the south!
There are a lot of benefits when you work from home so a lot of people are now switching from the typical day (or night) job to working online. However, the biggest hurdle in this kind of work is the internet connection. Thankfully, coworking spaces are there to the rescue. I was able to experience working in UP Innovation Hub and here's my review.
A Review of UP Innovation Hub Coworking Space
Location
UP Innovation Hub is conveniently located in Evia Mall Daang Hari, Las Piñas. Yes, it's inside the mall! Even though its address says Las Piñas, Evia Mall is in fact in the boundary of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Molino, Cavite. And even though our residential address is San Pedro, Laguna, Evia Mall is just a 5-min drive away from our home. Also, it's very near the MCX exit if you're coming from SLEX. So, people in these areas can easily go to UP Inno Hub. Commuters can ride the yellow Metro Express bus from Starmall Alabang. There are also UV Express passing by there going to/from Cavite but I'm not sure where the terminal is located. Anyway, UP Innovation Hub is in the basement of Evia Mall.
Facilities
The working tables and office chairs in UP Innovation Hub are all comfortable to use. There are meeting rooms that you can rent, but I'm not sure about the cost because they don't have any published rates yet when we went there. They also have office space rental and free coffee! There's no restroom inside so if you ever need to use a restroom, you have to go out. Don't worry because there's one near UP Innovation Hub. The coworking area is not that big and I think it can only accommodate around 10 people. More than that can be cramped already.
Internet Connection
Of course, the major part of any coworking spaces is the internet connection. I was expecting the internet connection in UP Innovation Hub to be lightning fast. But to my disappointment, their internet is very slow. My original plan is to stay there from 11am to 7pm because I have a lot of work to do, but I end up leaving at 1pm. I couldn't bear to work there any longer because, yeah, the internet sucks! Our poor internet connection at home is much better than theirs. So imagine how disappointed I am and sadly, I'm not coming back and I'd rather stay in a coffee shop.
Business Hours and Rates
Since UP Innovation Hub is located inside Evia Mall, their opening time is the same with the mall which is 10am and they close at 7pm. That's another thing that I don't like here. Other coworking spaces are open 24-hours and this one closes early. Moreover, their rate is PhP 500 per day, which is quite expensive compared to other coworking spaces.
To sum it up, I am too much disappointed with the internet speed in UP Innovation Hub. So despite being near our house, I don't see myself coming back there. Don't get me wrong. I love the place because it is quiet, cold and comfortable. It's just that, I couldn't work in such a slow connection. But who knows, maybe in the near future their internet speed will be improved.