Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 10077

Duterte grapples with Chinese Golden Goose’s illegal eggs

By Norman P. Aquino Special Reports Editor
and Arjay L. Balinbin Reporter

WANG HONG, 29, was hooked on gambling.

It came to a point that he had to borrow money from loan sharks — a couple of Chinese nationals like himself — so he could continue betting while at the Solaire Resort and Casino, the tallest hotel in the Manila Bay area near the Philippine capital.

Like most gamblers, Mr. Wang was mired in debt after his creditors demanded a 15% commission from his casino winnings, according to police. His creditors abducted him on Dec. 4 after he failed to pay P2 million.

The Anti-Kidnapping Group of the Philippine National Police rescued Mr. Wang the following week after his friend reported his abduction.

“Part of the kidnappers’ modus operandi is they take videos of their victims and send these to the latter’s relatives in China,” according to Lieutenant Colonel Jowel N. Saliba, spokesman of the police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group.

“Once ransom is paid, they release their victims at the airport in Manila so they can go straight home and will never have to complain to Philippine authorities,” he said by telephone.

Kidnapping cases involving Chinese nationals is just one of several crimes that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has had to face since his Beijing-friendly foreign policy started attracting tourists and workers from the mainland.

Since becoming president in 2016, the tough-talking Philippine leader has sought closer investment and trade ties with its Asian neighbor, avoiding being confrontational about islets that China claims in the South China Sea.

The influx of Chinese nationals especially in Manila, the capital, is evident especially after the Philippines opened its doors to so-called online gaming operators, a billion-peso industry that is mostly Chinese-run and caters to its own nationals.

GOLDEN EGGS
These Philippine online gaming operators, or POGOs, have hired more than 400,000 workers, many of them from mainland China, amid the Chinese government’s crackdown on gambling.

Mr. Duterte has rejected Beijing’s call to ban online gaming, which he sees as a major source of tax revenue — the proverbial Golden Goose that lays the golden eggs.

But his government can’t seem to escape some rotten ones, with Chinese crime syndicates having capitalized on Manila’s relaxed visa policy.

Police have documented 36 casino-related kidnappings from January to November, more than double the 16 cases reported in 2018, Mr. Saliba said.

“They’re just too many,” he said, referring to Chinese nationals in the Philippines.

“The usual kidnap-for-ransom cases disappeared this year. These were replaced by casino- and POGO-related kidnapping cases that have become a trend.”

The police unit has arrested 30 Chinese suspects involved in the kidnapping of nine POGO employees — all of them Chinese — this year.

One such case involved Ming Xuangbo, a 27-year-old Chinese who worked as a personnel assistant at Ekxinimum, Inc., an online gaming company at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales province north of Manila.

Police arrested seven Chinese co-workers of the victim for kidnapping. The suspects allegedly abducted Ms. Ming on Nov. 1 after she decided to leave the company and failed to pay 19,000 renminbi (about P138,000).

“The government should step up and check the rising incidence of criminality involving Chinese nationals,” Dante L. Jimenez, who heads the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, said by telephone.

“We should check their entry, starting at the Immigration bureau,” added Mr. Jimenez, who is also the founder of a citizen’s group against crime.

Apart from kidnappings, Philippine police have had to grapple with other serious crimes involving the Chinese, including prostitution and fraud.

Government agents arrested 15 Chinese pimps and rescued 17 Chinese women in separate raids in Las Piñas City this month, according to the National Bureau of Investigation.

In September, Immigration agents raided the office of an online gaming operator in the Ortigas business district in Pasig City, and arrested 277 illegal workers, many of whom were Chinese nationals accused of fraud. Days later, 324 undocumented Chinese workers were arrested in Palawan province for alleged cybercrimes.

“We should condemn these things and discuss with China how to prevent them from happening,” George T. Siy, who heads the trade and industry committee of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., said in a telephone interview.

“We did everything else to balance it out with the negatives and positives of the situation. The country is getting a lot of income — more than P100 billion a year from POGOs — and there are also these crimes.”

Welcome 2020!

SO LONG, farewell, and auf wiedersehen to 2019. We’ve come up with a list of where you can kiss this year goodbye, from the city’s most plush, most pumping places — and even right at home.

QUEZON CITY AND SAN JUAN
• Eastwood City — Headlining Eastwood-Quezon City New Year Countdown to 2020 are some of the biggest and brightest names in the music industry including Ben&Ben, James Reid’s Careless Music, Leanne & Naara, Meryl, and Amplified. Leading the countdown all the way to the early minutes of 2020 are Rico Blanco and Ebe Dancel. The Eastwood-Quezon City New Year Countdown to 2020 will also feature the New York City-inspired Dazzling Star Drop, a grand fireworks display at midnight. The celebration continues until the early hours of 2020 at the Afterparty at the Fuente Circle at Eastwood Citywalk 2 with DJs Nixdamnp, ToloMarvelous, DJ Euric and Jazz Zamora. The New Year Countdown is done in partnership with the Quezon City Government. Eastwood City is also offering a P50 flat-rate parking fee until 2 a.m. for revelers joining the celebrations, while several dining establishments across Eastwood Mall and Eastwood Citywalk are now accepting reservations. For details and restaurant reservations, call the Eastwood City Concierge at 709-9888 or 709-0888, 0917-8380111 or visit www.EastwoodNYE2020.com.

• Luxent — Luxent Hotel hails the arrival of 2020 with the Toast to 2020 New Year Countdown Party at the Vertigo Roof Deck Bar which features live entertainment, a fireworks display, and free-flowing cocktails. The rockin’ New Year’s party features DJ Patrick and DJ Jeff —and a view of the Quezon City skyline. Tickets are P488 per person. For reservations or inquiries, call 8863-7777.

• Marco Polo Ortigas Manila — The hotel will again hold its annual New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge, this year entitled “20|20.” Tickets are available at P1,850 per guest, inclusive of one Bottega Gold Prosecco as a welcome drink. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and crowd favourite the Real Groove Band will take the main stage beginning 9 p.m. Guests who wish to chill with the cool breeze facing the Rizal mountainside will be welcomed with tracks mastered by DJ Jade. Tables may be booked in advance for large groups. For more information and reservations, call 7720-7720 or restaurant.mnl@marcopolohotels.com.

MAKATI AND BGC
• Discovery Primea — New Year’s Eve at Primea starts with a dinner of Spanish fare including tapas, cocas, caldereta de mariscos, lengua estofado, and sweet endings such as churros con chocolate. Flame resturant offers a selection of modern Asian fare. The first seating from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 highlights a five-course menu with dishes such as lobster tartare, pan-seared Chilean sea bass, five spice duck leg confit, Wagyu beef rib eye, and chocolate tart for P5,500++ per person. The seven-course set menu for the second seating from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. highlights additional culinary creations such as scallops and truffle, steamed garlic river prawn, seared foie gras, grilled Australian rack of lamb, quesong puti mille-feuille, and the Oh Trio cream puffs for P7,000++ per person. For inquiries and reservations, call 7955-8888 or e-mail primea.restaurants@discovery.com.ph.

• New World Makati Hotel — the hotel’s annual New Year’s Eve Countdown Party will have guests singing along and partying to the music of the Brass Munkeys as they perform all-time favorites from the ’60s up to present-day chart toppers. The party continues as DJ Cam Abecina plays today’s latest and greatest hits. Guests who stay until the end of the program may win prizes such as overnight stays, dining experiences, and more, courtesy of the hotel. Free standing admission is at P2,988 per person. A 20% discount is applicable for children six to 12 years old. VIP tables are priced at P10,000 for three persons, P13,000 for four persons, and P32,000 for 10 persons, with a rate of P2,988 for each additional person. Children five years and below are free of charge. The Countdown to 2020 party will be held at the ballroom on Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. A buffet spread as Café 1228 highlights New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day including US Angus beef prime rib with three savory sauces, whole salmon in salt crust, herb and garlic roasted leg of lamb, fresh seafood including oysters, lobsters, scallops and prawns, curated cold cuts and cheeses, salads, soups, as well as Filipino and Asian favorites. The dessert station will feature marzipan stolen, banana walnut and Dundee cakes, chocolate macadamia tartlets, mixed fruit pavlova, bourbon balls, and a crepe, ice cream, and sherbet station, to name a few. New Year’s Eve dinner is priced at P2,988 and New Year’s Day lunch and dinner are P2,020 per person. The hotel’s Chinese restaurant, Jasmine, offers three set menus for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Happiness, Prosperity, and Auspicious set menus are priced at P1,960, P2,070, and P2,180 nett per person, respectively, for a minimum of two guests. Guests who avail of the New Year’s Eve room or dining experiences are eligible to join the hotel’s ongoing Holly Jolly Raffle, where they can win one of 25 experiences and prizes such as stays at New World hotels in Asia with premium airfare for two, two roundtrip tickets to Tokyo, Japan, Apple gadgets, as well as Belo Skin treatments. The promo runs until Dec. 31, and a minimum spend of P5,000 entitles the guest to one raffle ticket. For more information and reservations, call 8811-6888 or e-mail Reservations.manila@newworldhotels.com and FBReservations.manila@newworldhotels.com.

• Peninsula Manila — Dress to the nines for the splashiest New Year’s Eve party at the Pen that this year pays homage to Sir Elton John. The party starts at 9 p.m. to midnight for the countdown, but the band plays until 2 a.m.. Tickets are priced at P15,000 for adults and P7,500 for children under 12. One can also have a New Year’s Eve Party at Salon de Ning for P3,200 until 4 p.m., and the fee includes canapes and a select open bar. As for dining offerings on the 31st, Spices is open for lunch until 2:30 p.m., and open for dinner until 11 p.m. The à la carte lunch and dinner is priced at P2,300 for adults and P1,100 for children under 12. At Old Manila, lunch is until 2 p.m., and a six-course set dinner is offered until 11 p.m. at P9,500 with free-flowing drinks, and P7,000 without. The buffets at Escolta for brunch (until 3 p.m.) and dinner (until 11:30 p.m.) will range in price from P1,600 (children under 12 at lunchtime) to P6,000 (with free-flowing drinks at dinnertime). Prices drop a bit on the first day of the new decade, beginning with a breakfast buffet at the lobby, served from 6 to 11 a.m., priced at P950 for children under 12 and P1,800 for adults. The schedules and the prices for the restaurants remain the same, except for the New Year’s Day Roast at Escolta, served until 3 p.m., is priced at P4,500 with free-flowing sparkling wine and P1,600 for children under 12. The lobster and seafood dinner, served until 10 p.m., will be priced at P3,800 for adults and P1,900 for children under 12. Call 8887-2888 for reservations.

• The Palace — Doors at the club complex open at 11 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear their best white outfits to get free access to Xylo, Revel, Island, and B.A.D (but only until 1:30 a.m. for Xylo and Revel). Call the clubs at 0917-680-8888 or 0917-550-8888 for details.

BAY AREA AND BEYOND
• Marriott — The hotel is holding the Grand Countdown 2020 on Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Marriott Grand Ballroom. Enjoy premium cocktails, five-star dining, and spectacular performances during the party. Younger party goers will enjoy the Grand Countdown Kid’s Zone where they can do crafts, watch movies, make s’mores, and enjoy other kid-friendly activities. Ticket range in price from P15,000 to P20,000. A mass will also be hosted on New Year’s Eve at 6 p.m. at the Diplomatic Hall exclusive for the Grand Countdown Party attendees. The dinner and show starts at 7 p.m. For reservations, call 8988-9999 or visit www.manilamarriott.com.

• Crimson Hotel — Look back on the years that have passed with a 1990s-themed New Year’s Eve party at Crimson Hotel Filinvest City. The ticket prices are at P2,850 net for adults and P1,850 net for kids. Each includes a buffet dinner, live entertainment, 1990s New Year Treats, and a chance to win raffle prizes. Meanwhile, Café Eight’s Dinner Buffet is P1,740++ per person. Come down for another party with live DJ music at the hotel’s Gallery and enjoy unlimited drinks for P699 net per head. Then on Jan. 1, head to Café Eight for the New Year’s Day “Brunch” Buffet from noon to 3 p.m. for P1,460++ per person. For more information on New Year promos or reservations, visit www.crimsonhotel.com/manila/ or call 8863-2222.

• City of Dreams — To usher in the brand-new year, Nobu Manila offers a special eight-course Omakase (P6,999++) available from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1. On Dec. 31, a New Year’s Eve Countdown party at CenterPlay starts at 3 p.m. with flair bartending and performances from bands Higher Ground, MUB and Part 3, who perform up to midnight. Guests can reserve a seat or a table starting at P3,000, inclusive of a glass of Veuve Cliqout Rose and consumable snacks. The Garage is throwing a retro-themed New Year’s Eve party until 2 a.m. with its Good Old Days promotion. Guests are in for free flow drinks, with an alcoholic package (P2,588) which comes with draft beer, soda, wine, champagne and other premium liquor, or the non-alcoholic package (P1,888), which provides soda, iced tea, a selection of chilled juices or a glass of sparkling mocktail. Both packages include a platter of jalapeno poppers, seasoned buffalo fries and fried crispy nori. For kids, a package worth P1,288 includes free flowing iced tea, juices, a milk shake or a glass of sparkling mocktail as well as a platter of skin-on fries, mozzarella balls, and corn dogs. For inquiries, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com or visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com/i>.

• Diamond Hotel Philippines — The hotel’s New Year’s Eve Countdown Party kicks off with a Dinner Buffet at Corniche with a glass of cava, then enjoy upbeat music of Yellow Lane Band, Soul Republic, and J-Project at the Upper Lobby. Dance and be merry until the clock strikes midnight for P3,980 nett per person. Get a chance to win a two-night stay for two in Baguio with each ticket purchased. Those who prefer a more serene take on welcoming the New Year, Yurakuen’s Lunch and Dinner group set menus include a glass of red or white wine and entertainment by an acoustic duo during dinner. These sets are priced at P2,200 nett per person, with a special group set good for up to four persons at P8,380 nett and a special group set to accommodate up to six persons at P11,280 nett. The Lobby Lounge will open a Midnight Pica Pica Buffet from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., with seats available at the Second Floor Mezzanine for those who want to be closer to the Countdown Party at the Upper Lobby. The Midnight Pica Pica Buffet is priced at P1,280 nett per person. New Year’s Eve Lunch and Dinner Set Menus are offered at the Lobby Lounge as well at P1,880 nett per person with a glass of cava. One can cap the year with Bar27’s New Year’s Eve Bash — with a sky-high view, upbeat live music by the XZEL Band, and a range of tapas and cocktails, the party costs P1,380 nett per person (consumable). Book in advance or buy vouchers at onlineshopping.diamondhotel.com. For reservations, call 8528-3000 ext. 1121 or e-mail restaurant_rsvn@diamondhotel.com.

• New World Manila Bay — Dance the night away with a Sparkling New Year Countdown Party at The Lounge which includes entertainment via DJ Mia Fernandez. Tickets are priced at P600 per person inclusive of three rounds of drinks. For inquiries, call 8252-6888 or e-mail dining.manilabay@newworldhotels.com.

AT HOME
• Chef Laudico Guevarra’s Handaan Kahit Saan — Someone once said one should always welcome the New Year at home. Now it is possible thanks to Guevarra’s Handaan Kahit Saan party trays. Most of the dishes are available in two sizes, with servings good for 12-15 and six-eight persons. One on the menu is charcoal spit-roasted lechon (roast whole pig), pugon-roasted (wood fire stove-roasted) pork Bellychon, and pugon-roasted US Angus beef shortplate. Also available are kare-kare, kaldereta, and grilled beef tapa — all made with US Angus beef. Chicken options are tamarind and lemongrass-spiced roast chicken sinampalukan which is best served with kamote salad, and fried chicken adobo. For the noodles and pasta, choices are pansit bihon guisado, pansit canton guisado, palabok, and party spaghetti. For dessert, they have strawberry shortcake, Brazo de Calamansi, mocha cake, and Brigaderos. Guevarra’s Handaan Kahit Saan items can be picked up from Chef Laudico Guevarra’s at 387 P. Guevarra corner Argonne Streets, Addition Hills, San Juan or sent through the various delivery services available such as Grab and Lalamove. For orders and inquiries,call 8705-1811, 8705-1874, or 0917-311-2222.

Behind Samsung’s $116-billion bid for new semiconductor mart

TECHNOLOGY giants are increasingly designing their own semiconductors to optimize everything from artificial intelligence tasks to server performance and mobile battery life. Google has the Tensor Processing Unit, Apple Inc. has the A13 Bionic and Amazon.com Inc. has the Graviton2. What the titans all lack, however, is a factory to build the new chips they are dreaming up.

Enter Samsung Electronics Co., which is planning a decade-long, $116 billion push for their business. The South Korean company is investing heavily in the next step in miniaturizing semiconductors, a process called extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV). It’s by far the priciest manufacturing upgrade Samsung has ever attempted, a risky bid to move beyond its established business of cranking out commoditized silicon and to leapfrog the incumbent leaders in the $250 billion foundry and logic-chip industry.

“A new market is opening up,” Yoon Jong Shik, executive vice president of Samsung’s foundry business, said at a forum recently held in Seoul. “Companies like Amazon, Google and Alibaba, which lack experience in silicon design, are seeking to make chips with their own concept ideas in order to boost their services. I think this would bring a significant breakthrough for our non-memory chip business.”

Samsung is a relative underdog in this growing field. The foundry business — as the manufacturing of chips for companies like Google and Qualcomm Inc. is known — is dominated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. with more than half the market, according to TrendForce Corp. data that puts Samsung at 18%.

TSMC also took over Apple’s A-series processor manufacturing from Samsung, which was the original production partner. Samsung plans to spend about $10 billion per year on equipment, research and development over the next decade, but TSMC is even more ambitious with capital expenditure of around $14 billion for this year and next.

“It is not just a matter of willingness,” said CW Chung, head of pan-Asia technology at Nomura Financial Investment Co., in assessing Samsung’s chances of success. “Chip-making is like a composite art. Unless there are enough supports for all-round social infrastructures, it’d be a scarcely achievable goal.”

To win over clients, top Samsung executives are touring major cities from San Jose to Munich to Shanghai, hosting foundry forums and negotiating deals. ES Jung, president and general manager for the foundry business, is the frontman delivering Samsung’s “can-do” spiel at every gathering, where his practiced joke is to suggest that his initials stand for “engineering sample.”

“The complexity of the lines drawn by the EUV equipment is similar to building a spaceship,” said Jung while unveiling a $17 billion EUV plant in Hwaseong earlier this year, flanked by Samsung heir and de-facto boss Jay Y. Lee and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The fab is planned to start mass production in February 2020.

A single EUV machine from ASML Holding NV costs $172 million and Samsung is setting up dozens of them in Hwaseong in an effort to be first with the technology. TSMC and Samsung are both expected to reach 5-nanometer production processes with EUV in the new year, which means they’ll have only each other to compete with in a market that’s only set to expand. And once they ramp up and achieve economies of scale, the overall process cycle time is likely to decrease by 20% and the foundry capacity output will increase by 25%, according to a Citigroup Inc. research report.

“TSMC is too busy with orders pouring in for new products as we enter into the 5G era,” said Greg Roh, senior vice president at Hyundai Motor Securities. “For Samsung, that’s bringing a good chance to expand their market share by offering lower prices and delivery schedules to meet clients’ needs.”

Samsung is collaborating with major clients on designing and manufacturing custom chips and that work is already starting to add to its revenue, according to one Samsung executive who has direct knowledge of the matter. The push toward bespoke processors in Silicon Valley and China is opening up fresh opportunities and Samsung already has established relationships, as demonstrated by its recent announcement that it’ll produce an AI chip for Baidu Inc. early next year.

Officials at Samsung believe the company has a competitive edge from its experience building both the chips and the devices that they go into. It is thus able to foresee and address the engineering requirements of its clients. Samsung believes its other trump card is an ability to package memory and logic chips into a single module, improving power and space efficiency. Analysts do warn, however, that some companies are wary about outsourcing production to a direct competitor in the consumer electronics market — lest Samsung learns and copies their chip designs in its own products.

“Ultimately, the success of Samsung’s logic chip business depends on its market positioning,” Chris Hsu said. “On the foundry side, Samsung needs to eliminate its clients’ suspicions of Samsung LSI being a potential competitor.”

Samsung is reaching out to smartphone-making rivals and has already agreed to sell 5G Exynos chips to Vivo. At the same time, it’s going to be manufacturing Qualcomm’s 5G mobile chipset using the same EUV process. On yet another front, the company is competing with foundry customer Sony Corp. in the growing market for image sensors, having this year unveiled an unprecedented 108-megapixel camera for smartphones. “I think Samsung’s CMOS image sensor business will continue to do well, riding on the industry boom,” said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Anthea Lai.

If Samsung can move ahead technologically, it should find no shortage of customers for its varied semiconductor offerings. Though China is increasingly turning to domestic suppliers for all things tech, the greater efficiency of EUV chips may be key in helping Samsung solicit business from the world’s second-biggest economy.

“The increased demand for in-house chips spells good news for the growth of the foundry industry,” TrendForce analyst Hsu said. — Bloomberg

Monetary Board approves rules for Islamic banking framework

By Beatrice M. Laforga

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) is set to issue the implementing rules for the country’s Islamic banking law after the Monetary Board (MB) approved two circulars outlining the licensing framework and discussing Shari’ah governance principles, a senior official said.

BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier said the Monetary Board okayed on Dec. 13 two new circulars on Islamic banking: one on licensing of Islamic banks and setting up of Islamic banking window by existing banks and the other discussing the principles of Shari’ah governance.

“IRR (implementing rules and regulations) on Islamic Bank was approved by MB. BSP is set to issue circular on licensing of Islamic banks and setting up of Islamic banking window by existing banks,” Ms. Fonacier told BusinessWorld in a mobile phone message on Friday.

She said one foreign Islamic bank has expressed interest in putting up a branch in the Philippines, while several domestic banks are also considering setting up their own Islamic banking windows.

Currently, Al Amanah Islamic Bank is the only Islamic bank operating in the country, which is now under the Development Bank of the Philippines when the latter took control of its operations in 2008.

BSP Managing Director of Financial Supervision Subsector III Arifa Ala earlier said several banks have expressed interest on Islamic banking but most were still waiting for the rules.

Republic Act No. 11439 or the act providing for the regulation and organization of Islamic banks signed on Aug. 22, mandates the central bank to act as the sector’s regulatory body and allows it to authorize Islamic banks, both local and foreign, to establish Islamic banking operations in the country.

The law also allows traditional banks to participate in Islamic banking operations upon securing approval from the Monetary Board.

Under Shari’ah principles, Islamic banking is an asset-backed banking business with operations that do not involve “riba” or interest.

Under the law, Islamic banks can accept current accounts, savings accounts, investment accounts and foreign currency deposits, among others.

Islamic banks can also issue Shari’ah-compliant funding instruments such as “sukuk” upon approval by the MB to use on their operations and other capital needs.

The Great British Bake Off can win any Culture War

By Virginia Postrel, Bloomberg Opinion

IT IS A PLACE where heritage and culture stand proud, enriched but not diluted by the traditions of immigrants. Some of its denizens roam the world, exploring foreign cultures; others stick close to home; neither invites scorn. An island of confident identity in a fractured and contentious world, it celebrates cosmopolitan curiosity and deep-rooted traditions, local custom and diverse origins. It is a big tent — quite literally.

I refer, of course, to The Great British Bake Off or, as it is known on American shores, The Great British Baking Show.

A baking competition held in a giant white tent decked out with Union Jack bunting and a dozen kitchens’ worth of equipment, the program is an institution in the UK. It has been credited with sparking a boom in home baking and raising standards in the shops. The 10th season aired this fall and, available on Netflix, the show has attracted passionate US fans as well. Earlier this month, Florida-based TV critic Andy Dehnart, who covers non-scripted programming on his site Reality Blurred, named it “the reality TV show of the decade.”

Set in the countryside, with establishing shots of sheep grazing, songbirds chirping, and bees buzzing among the wildflowers, the program could be peddling nostalgia for village life in England’s green and pleasant land. The jokes are silly puns and double entendres, gentle and exceedingly British.

Commentators on both sides of the Atlantic emphasize its good nature as a respite from political conflict. A British critic calls it “a weekly therapy session. It is a last remnant of sanity in an increasingly crazy country; an oasis of niceness in a desert of vileness.”

The welcoming atmosphere is “so different from the picture Brexit painted, that the British want their nation back and that they want us out,” Chetna Makan, a 2014 contestant who moved to the UK from Mumbai, told the New York Times. With its polyglot mix of regional accents, class backgrounds, and national origins, the show is not nostalgic. But it is still The Great British Bake Off, unabashedly so. And therein lies its cultural genius.

In the famous tent, we see a culture changing without losing coherence or rejecting the past. You can keep your nation, the show suggests, while adding new elements. The constant reinforcement of Britishness, from Union Jack cakes and Gran’s old recipes to Dr. Who references and Liverpool pride, is as essential to the program as cardamom and caster sugar. GBBO, as fans refer to it, rejects the choice between openness and national identity.

Each week’s show has a theme, with challenges that winnow the contestants down from 12 to a final three. The episode may spotlight a type of baking, such as bread or pastry; an ingredient or its absence, as in Spice Week or Vegan Week; or historical or national specialties, for example, Tudor Week or Danish Week.

Elaborating the theme, contestants bake three challenges, two of which they know beforehand. The dreaded “technical challenge” requires making something most have never baked before, and often have never heard of. They get ingredients and what is called, with British understatement (or is it British irony?), a “pared down” recipe. “Make the dough,” is a typical instruction.

Unlike most US cooking competitions, with their professional chefs and substantial winner-take-all cash prizes, the show is in the great tradition of British amateurism, minus the aristocratic presumptions. Contestants bake because they love it, and, although everyone wants to win, they play fair and help each other out.

Bakers include retirees and full-time parents (male as well as female), and a wide range of professions, from builder to geography teacher, garden designer to veterinary surgeon, with the occasional student juggling exams. (The show shoots mostly on weekends.) The winner gets a glass cake platter and, along with the other finalists, a bouquet of flowers. That’s it.

Of course, success brings another valuable currency: public renown. Many finalists go on to at least semi-professional status, writing cookbooks and columns and appearing on TV. But career advancement seems a rare motivation, and coming in second doesn’t make you a loser.

One of the most beloved contestants, the charming young Liam Charles, finished fifth in 2017. He now hosts his own show and judges another. “Being in the tent” is an honor — and a memorable experience — in its own right.

Treating baking as a common venture where good ideas can come from anyone or anywhere, the show welcomes global citizens and the flavors they introduce. At the same time, it celebrates distinctively British baking and honors British history. The show’s inclusive spirit embraces local traditions and the people who made them. It’s as patriotic as it is cosmopolitan.

Maybe it takes an American (or an Indian immigrant) to recognize that Victoria sponge, Chelsea buns, sausage rolls, Battenberg cake, millionaire’s shortbread, and parkin (which I had to Google) are culturally specific treats. Traditional British baking, it turns out, can be pretty yummy — or scrummy, as former judge Mary Berry would say.

“Before the bake-off, it was nearly impossible to find classic British sweets like Victoria sponge sandwiches, Eccles cakes, and Bakewell tarts unless you or your granny made them at home,” writes New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark. The show has introduced a new generation to old-fashioned baking.

It also reminds viewers of how once-exotic ingredients became as British as Yorkshire pudding. When charged with making a ginger cake, Rahul Mandal, the eventual winner in 2018, explained that his mother back in India was surprised at the assignment. “In India we normally use ginger for savory things,” said the self-effacing research engineer. “The first time I had ginger cake,” he recalled, “was during a Bonfire Night celebration.”

For non-Brits, he’s referring to the Nov. 5 festivities marking the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up parliament and kill the king. Ginger may not be British, but ginger cake certainly is.

A cooking contest alone can’t mend a society’s divisions, of course. But the success of this one suggests they may not be as deep as they seem. Food is, after all, one of the most powerful tribal markers, with dietary customs and taboos separating us from them. A hit show dedicated to the idea that specifically British baking can meld old and new, regional and national, local and foreign, without losing its distinctive identity is a powerful indicator of cultural health.

Gaisano firm to add BPO building to Davao project

DAVAO CITY — Gaisano-owned Grand Land, Inc. is adding a business process outsourcing (BPO) building at its flagship project in the city — the Amani Grand Citygate.

“It is part of the masterplan. We hope to start its construction by fourth quarter of next year. We are just finalizing the building plans,” Grand Land President Ryan Bernard Go said in an interview last week.

The eight-storey BPO building will be constructed on a 3,000-square meter lot in front of four condominiums.

The 10-hectare complex will have four residential buildings with nine to 12 floors, the first of which is targeted to be topped off in January.

“Construction started last year at matatapos na siya (and it will be finished) ahead of schedule. It is more than 90% sold out,” Mr. Go said.

“There will be a commercial arcade also,” he added.

Cebu-based Grand Land, the real estate arm of the Gaisano Grand Group of Companies founded by Benito Sy Gaisano, is keen on pursuing more developments in Davao City following awards received by the Amani Grand Citygate project from DotProperty Southeast Asia Awards, PropertyGuru Philippine Property Awards, and Lamudi Philippines.

“We are happy for our project in Davao City… we are looking forward to create more developments in Davao City,” Mr. Go said.

HOTELS
Meanwhile, Grand Land’s Grand Regal Hotel, formerly the Mercure hotel, in the city is being refurbished and will be re-branded as a business hotel.

“It will undergo a facelift and even the furniture will be replaced. Grand Regal Hotel used to be the first five-star branded hotel in Mindanao. Right now, we are renovating everything. It is still a mid-level hotel and we are not going to do it as a five star,” he said.

The 225-room hotel was first built about 20 years ago.

Mr. Go said they are targeting to complete the renovation by end-2021 and are also planning to use the two-hectare lot at the back of the hotel for a BPO building and a commercial facility.

The renovation is also in preparation for the MICE Con 2020 — the biggest gathering of stakeholders in the meeting, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) sector — that will be hosted by Davao City next year.

“This hotel is good for the MICE convention. MICE has been strong here in Davao,” he said.

Grand Land has also partnered with Thai hotel management firm Dusit International for several projects, including at least two in Cebu.

“Right now there are two constructions, probably one will be finished next year, and another one hopefully to be finished by 2021,” Mr. Go said.

The joint venture includes Dusit’s ASAI Hotels, a new brand targeted towards millennial travelers. — Maya M. Padillo

Caring from far away: a robot that transmits touch

TOKYO — Can robots help solve the problem of an aging population in growing need of physical help but lacking the money and carers to provide it?

Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. thinks they can, if they are equipped to mimic the touch and actions of a carer located far away.

Toyota’s latest humanoid robot, T-HR3, demonstrated on Wednesday last week at Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition, is controlled remotely by a human operator.

Goggles let the operator see what the robot sees, gloves let them feel what the robot touches — enough for the operator, via the robot, to pour a drink or carry out other delicate manual tasks, all by remote control.

“You can look after someone when you’re not there, or care for someone while you’re working at home,” said the manager of Toyota Motor’s Humanoid Robot Group, Tomohisa Moridaira.

He noted that the carer can also take advantage of the robot’s extra muscle: “People who are not strong can do heavy work from a remote place.”

Another growing care need, keeping the elderly mobile and active, is the job of the ‘Orthobot,’ manufactured by Suncall.

A pack worn on the body controls the movements of a long brace that helps the leg to bend and stretch for walking.

“We want to break the barrier of people not wanting go outside because they can’t walk. We want them to have a good social life,” said Suncall’s Rei Takahashi.

About 130,000 people are expected to visit the International Robot Exhibition, which ran until Saturday. — Reuters

SEC OK’s Grepalife’s voluntary revocation of security business

SEC main office
THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission approved the application of Grepalife. — SEC

THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp.’s application for the voluntary revocation of its registration of securities and certificate to sell securities.

In an order signed by Officer-In-Charge Rachel Esther Gumtang-Remalante from the SEC Corporate Governance and Finance Department, the commission said the company should comply with the reporting requirements of the commission under the Corporate Code and to amend its business purposes in the span of a year.

The revocation was granted as the petition and supporting documents were found to be in full compliance with the Securities Regulation Code as well as the implementing rules and regulations of the Investment Company Act.

The order also ruled that the petitioner’s fund manager, Grepalife Asset Management Corp. (GAMC) must comply with the liquidation of the assets in behalf of Grepalife within a maximum of six months.

Aside from this, GAMC is also required to submit a copy of the Escrow Agreement within 10 days from the execution of the contract and to be in charge of informing SEC of the status of the redeeming of securities every Jan. 30 until all units are fully redeemed.

Finally, GAMC is required to submit a monthly report on the redemption of its securities in the preceding month.

It was in March when the board of directors of Grepalife, which is an arm of insurance firm Sun Life Financial, Inc., decided that they will apply for the voluntary revocation of the firm’s registration of securities.

The decision was made in order to focus more of their efforts and resources into Sun Life Grepa Financial, Inc.’s core life business and their “goal to be among the top life insurance providers” within the country.

According to SEC, Grepalife has 227 shareholders, of which 194 hold at least 100 shares. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Everything that top US chefs and bartenders hated in 2019

By Kate Krader, Bloomberg

IN LATE AUGUST, when Popeyes was selling about 1,000 sandwiches per store per day, it didn’t seem like there were more than three words — “fried chicken sandwich” — in America’s culinary lexicon.

And yet when some of the country’s top food and drink professionals were polled on what they’re most eager to say goodbye to in 2020, that came up only once. No matter how ubiquitous these crunchy, salty sammies are, we’re not tired of them quite yet! (And, let’s be honest, even if every food professional screamed for a moratorium, fried chicken sandwiches aren’t going anywhere in 2020, thanks to McDonald’s Corp.)

Instead, when we asked what leading chefs and bartenders would like to leave behind in 2019, these experts griped about an array of dishes, spirits, products, and people — from Fred Flintstone-size steaks to flavored whiskey to the Turkish butcher Nusret Gökçe (aka Salt Bae).

We imagine you’ll agree with many of the complaints — but some, such as carbonara, might surprise you. Wish these food pros luck as they endeavor to change the conversation in the new year.

Here they are, the Worst Food and Drink Trends From 2019, from the mouths of chefs and bartenders:

PLAYED-OUT INGREDIENT TRENDS
“Time to say goodbye to cauliflower [pizza] crusts. They’re not really tasty, and the texture is awfully chewy. Farewell to everything açaí: It’s usually put together in a mediocre way, and it’s so overpriced. Bye to activated charcoal — contrary to popular belief, it’s counterproductive for our digestion. Goodbye to truffle oils. The majority are imitations and made with bad chemicals.” — Gabriel Kreuther, owner and chef at Gabriel Kreuther in New York

“I’d love to see the grain bowl trend take a back seat for 2020. Nothing against the dish itself, but it’s gotten to the point that I see them in restaurants where it doesn’t even make sense. Like, if you post up at the raw bar, there should’t have to be a grain bowl option on the menu just to check that box.” — AJ Walker, chef at Café Cancale in Chicago

“I want to say bye to high-carb and high-dairy-focused diets and diets that rely on red meat. They’re too heavy and high in fat and cholesterol. More plant-based foods, more dishes that are high in omega-3s. They’re better for digestion, and everyone will thank me.” — Sung Park, chef at Ivy Lane in New York

“I’m most looking forward to the end of the trend of cave man-size cuts of meat. Those large cuts are not environmentally friendly, not healthy, and just wasteful.” — Justin Houghtaling, chef de cuisine at Amity & Commerce in the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C.

OVEREXPOSED BRANDS
“See you later, Salt Bae. Because unless you’re in the middle of the Sahara Desert, there’s no reason to wear sunglasses while you’re salting your meat.” — Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery in New York

“Poke and fried chicken sandwiches. Chicken sandwiches have become marketing strategies for Popeyes and Chick-fil-A. Poke in Hawaii is amazing, because they have very fresh tuna from local fisherman. Most of poke anywhere else is frozen, precut tuna or low-quality fish.” — Manabu Horiuchi, chef at Kata Robata in Houston

OVERBLOWN BOOZE
“I’m glad to see over-the-top, super overdone beer go. Like the superbitter IPAs that taste like three-month-old bong water. Or the beers with crazy off-the-wall ingredients and flavors.” — Patrick Feges, owner of Feges BBQ in Houston

“I say good riddance to flavored whiskies. While there’ve been some really cool spirits that have been released in the last half-decade, we’ve hit critical mass with flavors like cinnamon, apple, honey, vanilla, peach, strawberry, and now even peanut butter. I’d also like to see more mixologists creating fun experiences for guests. There’s been a tendency for mixologists to take themselves too seriously, and I’d be eager to see some of that go away.” — Marshall Altier, corporate mixologist for MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas

“Leave behind the intentionally confusing and obtuse menu descriptors. It’s a shame that so many bartenders (and chefs) feel the need to write deliberately pretentious verbiage to seem more serious. As the food writer Pete Wells once said, ‘A good menu should answer more questions than it creates.’ A guest shouldn’t need a doctorate in chemistry to order with confidence. If the drink has a pinch of sea salt, just say it has a pinch of sea salt. Don’t gussy it up by listing the ingredient as ‘dehydrated saline solution of oceanic origin.’ All you’re doing is confusing people and slowing down service, while at the same time making yourself look like an egotistical maniac.” — Erick Castro, co-founder of Polite Provisions in San Diego

“I hope the celebrity tequila trend ends. I’d prefer to recognize and give thanks to the hardworking jimadores, as they’re the ones who make such great efforts and allow us all to enjoy great tequila.” — Maurice DiMarino, wine and beverage director of Cohn Restaurant Group in San Diego

GENERAL FUSSINESS
“I want to see weird versions of carbonara disappear. I want chicken liver toasts with fruit compotes to stop. Steak tartare variations could kindly show themselves out. Little gems salads. We get it.” — Brian Bornemann, executive chef at Michael’s Santa Monica in Santa Monica, Calif.

“I’d like to see the trend of microgreens go away, especially cilantro. Dumping a pile of microgreens on a dish doesn’t improve it. It’s time to move on.” — John DePierro, chef at the Banty Rooster in New York

“I’m thinking that dishes like crudo and ceviche won’t be so frequently eaten in 2020. I also think that overdone plating and single-ingredient layering will stay behind, for example, using a carrot seven different ways, exaggerated use of a technique, and overdone, showy plating.” — Matt Danko, executive chef at City Mouse in Ace Hotel Chicago

“I think dessert-wise, microwave sponge cakes have got to go. They look pretty but taste like nothing. In regards to savory food, I loathe the ‘impossible’ line of plant-based meat substitutes. As a vegetarian, I don’t want a veggie burger that tastes like a cow. That’s why I’m a vegetarian.” — Nicole Guini, pastry chef at Blackbird in Chicago

“I’m hoping the plants-hanging-from-the-ceiling design is on its way out. It’s overdone, and it feels odd to sit underneath plants while you’re eating dinner.” — Neal Fraser, chef and owner at Redbird in Los Angeles

THE STUFF WE CAN ALL AGREE ON
“I would love to see CBD-infused everything be left behind in 2019. I am on board with CBD supplements, pills, oils, etc., when it’s part of a daily regimen, but not so much when it’s a hyped-up ingredient in a cocktail.” — Peter Lipson, chef at La Ventura in New York

“Food halls. A huge component of dining is the ambience and experience, and food halls don’t do justice to that. Instead, diners are subject to this homogeneous dining atmosphere. I totally understand the need for quick, quality food on the go. But you don’t get the full, 360 immersive touches of a traditional restaurant and its heart and soul.” — Erika Chan, executive pastry chef at the Publican in Chicago

“Sad to say, but the phrase ‘farm to table’ has lost its meaning. It’s time for a new term to emerge about why we care where our food comes from. Also, time for the end of reclaimed wood as restaurant furniture — you don’t know where it’s really been. And enough with denim aprons and uniforms.” — Eric Arill, chef at Doi Moi in Washington, D.C.

“I’m excited to see the whole snout-to-tail concept fade away in 2020. I think it’s a bit presumptuous to think that diners will eat certain parts of an animal.” — Nick Accardi, owner and chef at Tavolino in New York

“2020 will be the year we’ll say goodbye to food preferences sold as allergies. Hopefully, to meals sent out ‘as ready’ with no thought to appropriate coursing as well. Also foresee less cannabis tasting menus in the coming year.” — Lincoln Carson, owner and chef at Bon Temps in Los Angeles

“A trend that should stay behind in 2019 is food created solely for Instagram. While I love beautiful photos of food, social media has pushed people to value the look of a dish over the taste and quality.” — Todd Mitgang, executive chef at TacoVision in New York.

PHirst earmarks P550M for Batangas project

PHIRST PARK Homes, Inc. (PPHI) is earmarking P550 million for its planned project in Nasugbu, Batangas, as the developer expands its footprint in the Calabarzon area.

In a statement, the joint venture of Century Properties Group (CPG) and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. said it has acquired a 30-hectare property in Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas. CPG is also developing a residential tourism estate called Batulao Artscapes in Batulao.

“Before we end the year 2019, we achieved another milestone as we acquired one of the prime properties in Nasugbu, Batangas. We are very much excited for the opportunities to develop this into a showcase community,” PPHI President and Chief Executive Officer Ricky M. Celis was quoted as saying.

He said the company is allocating P550 million in capital expenditures for the Nasugbu project.

PPHI will formally launch the project in the first quarter of 2020. Mr. Celis said pre-selling for the first 13 hectares, which covers 1,021 units, started this month.

Mr. Celis said the Batulao project will “have a mix of modern and rustic ambiance with tree-lined streets and wide-open spaces.”

Compared to other PHirst Park Homes communities, he said the master plan for the new project will be more distinctive and have eco-friendly house models. It will also have a commercial center, wider roads, more amenities and open spaces.

The new project is located along the Nasugbu Highway, a 1.5-hour drive from Manila via the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road. It is also 20 minutes by car to Tagaytay City and 42 minutes to Nasugbu’s beaches. It will also have access to Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway (CTBEx).

“Future residents will get to experience a world-class development at an affordable price point. People can jog in the streets freely, kids can play in the park, or throw a party at the clubhouse — and be rest assured of utmost security and peace of mind when you are inside the PHirst Park Homes project,” Mr. Celis said.

To date, PPHI has launched five projects covering 91 hectares with 8,799 units valued at P14.4 billion. The projects are located in Tanza, Cavite; Lipa, Batangas; San Pablo, Laguna; Pandi, Bulacan; and Calamba, Laguna.

The property firm is aiming to have 33,000 homes by 2023. — CRAG

Google fined $167 million in France amid crackdown on online ads

GOOGLE was fined €150 million ($167 million) in a French antitrust case involving online advertising as regulators throughout Europe criticize the tech giant’s business practices.

The French authority found Google abused its dominant position in search when it set “opaque and difficult to understand operating rules” for its Google Ads advertising platform that it applied unfairly and randomly. It’s the first time France’s Autorite de la concurrence has fined Google, its president Isabelle de Silva told reporters at a Paris press conference Friday.

While the fine is a fraction of Google’s revenue, the company has had several run-ins with antitrust watchdogs in Europe. Earlier last week, UK officials said splitting Google’s ad-server operations from the rest of its business could be an option to counter its dominance. European Union antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager has fined the US technology giant €8.2 billion in three probes over the last two years.

“Google has to do more and better than just any company,” de Silva said. “The rules were not only very difficult to understand” but they also “changed all the time, from one month to the other” without clear communication from Google making it very difficult for advertisers to understand what they could and could not do.

De Silva said the French case was prompted by Gibmedia, which operated weather information and reverse directory websites, which complained after its online ad account was suspended in 2015. Officials have been scrutinizing the way US technology firms collect and exploit data to compete in the online advertising sector.

Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., said it will appeal, arguing that its advertising policies were designed to protect people from “exploitative and abusive ads.”

“Gibmedia was running ads for websites that deceived people into paying for services on unclear billing terms,” the Mountain View, California-based company said in a statement. “We do not want these kinds of ads on our systems, so we suspended Gibmedia and gave up advertising revenue to protect consumers from harm.”

Google was also ordered to clarify the rules for Google Ads and its procedure for suspending accounts. It will have to put in place measures to prevent, detect and deal with violations of Google Ads rules. The French authority’s decision must be displayed on the google.com and google.fr home pages for a week.

De Silva said the authority had been in contact with Google over online advertising issues since 2010. Despite some pledges from the company “there’s been very little progress on the points that were raised” nine years ago. “Google was particularly aware of what was expected of it.” Regulators have told the company how it should apply online ad rules including notifying companies to avoid “brutal and unjustified” closures of advertising accounts.

The fine is France’s third biggest monopoly abuse penalty since 2009. French regulators are separately investigating Facebook Inc. following a complaint from Criteo, De Silva said. It will also set up a new digital unit to handle internet issues. — Bloomberg

CIMB Philippines eyes e-commerce, new tie-ups

CIMB-Reuters-022514
CIMB Philippines is looking at more partnerships to boost its business. — REUTERS

CIMB BANK Philippines, Inc. is looking to continue building partnerships from different industries as part of their strategy to build a customer base through platforms users are already familiar with.

They are also assessing to diversify their loan portfolio which is currently still focused to catering the retail segment, according to CIMB Bank Philippines Chief Executive Officer Vijay Manoharan.

“We want to work with a variety of partners, and continue to grow our partnership channels, or partnership relationships…so we’ll continue to seek new partners as a platform bank, that’s our strategy,” he said in an interview with BusinessWorld earlier this month.

The bank’s most recent tie-up is with CIS Bayad Center, Inc., the bills payment arm of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). Their partnership will allow CIMB to offer loan and savings products to Bayad Center customers through the Bayad Center app.

“You can directly access a credit to pay off bills, or access credit to just get cash to attend to something you need to do. So we are availing credit to the Bayad Center base through their own channels,” Mr. Manoharan said.

The official said their strategy for 2020 is to multiply these partnerships where they can co-create joint solutions.

Asked about players or industries they want to tie up with, he said: “E-commerce. Travel, transportation, so we look across the whole framework, even groceries… Wherever the customer sort of engages.”

Mr. Manahoran said the majority of their users were lured through their partnership with GCash where customers can directly save money into CIMB through the GCash App. This kind of pickup, where customers enjoy their services from another app which they are already used to, is something they are “happy about” because it is exactly their model, he said.

The bank chief said users below 35 years old make up a large number of their client base “which is exactly what we want because the room for them to grow…evolve and develop in your life stage to career stage is all ahead of them.”

Mr. Manoharan said they want to attract customers from all walks of life and from different age groups. However, as a digital bank, they observed that young consumers, who are naturally more tech-savvy, has been the first ones to buy into the online bank business because of “ease of early adoption” and pickup.

Aside from sealing more partnerships, Mr. Manoharan said they are also studying how to expand their loan portfolio which is predominantly retail right now.

“So whether it’s microenterprises, small to medium enterprises, we are doing a study as we speak to see how can we go in there and effectively solve pain points for those segments. This is something that we are not rushing into, but we are studying the opportunity,” he said.

He said loan bookings from the local market have been growing 15-20% per month since they launched the product in May.

The process of securing loans from CIMB is done digitally through their app. Mr. Manoharan said the application takes 10 minutes and is assessed in real-time.

The CEO said they use very complex algorithms to try to veer away from the traditional means of credit assessment, which has barred a lot of customers from accessing loan services due to ineligibility.

“We have to use alternative means…to assess whether a person has got the ability to borrow. And this means that we can extend credit to more and more Filipinos,” he said.

Customers can choose the term of their loans from one to five years, while the credit granted can be from P50,000 to P2 million. The money is disbursed through CIMB or through any accounts with other lenders.

The Malaysian bank’s customer base in the Philippines is currently 1.5 million users strong. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

1...10,07610,07710,078...14,244Page 10,077 of 14,244
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube