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Rockin’ the orchestra

By Gideon Isidro
and Marybelle “Belle” Garcia
Concert Review
Rockestra 2018
Manila Symphony Orchestra
The Theatre at Solaire on July 29
ROCKESTRA 2018, performed at The Theatre at Solaire was a historic moment for the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) as it was their first attempt to play a full concert dedicated to rock-classical fusion music.
The concert featured two artists: Noli Aurillo, considered by many critics as the Philippines’ premier acoustic guitar sessionist; and Silent Sanctuary, a five member OPM band whose cellist and violinist used to be members of the MSO. They also invited Aia De Leon, a founding member of the OPM band Imago, to sing a few songs. For the night of the performance, the orchestra was lead by the graceful hand of Professor Arturo Molina.
A RISING START
The MSO started off with The Planets Op. 32, I. Mars by Gustav Holst, which could be mistaken as a track from Star Wars. Being a work of rising volume, the atmosphere started off as weak. This may have been disappointment to some fans of rock who might like a bombastic entrance. Then the volume finally rose. The cellists executed a spine-tingling col legno (hitting the string with the wooden part of the bow) suggesting the sense of threat that the god of war brings. Once the highest point of the work was reached, the orchestra shifted gears and played AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” “Now this is where the power is!” I thought to myself.
This was when Aurillo entered stage to cheers from the audience. His upright posture made him look like an army captain, determined to lead his soldiers to victory. The anticipation was building…, he lifted his right hand. This is it! He’s going to do some rock riffs!
And Aurillo finally… uhm, he finally strummed the guitar and no sound was coming out. My companion, Belle, and I asked each other, “Do you hear anything? Is it just me?” Aurillo tried adjusting his guitar’s dial many times, but it didn’t seem to do anything.
It was disappointing to see that a very powerful rock song wasn’t brought to its full potential, but we decided to keep listening. We did find the experience enjoyable; the orchestra was able to bring the strings part to a good finish.
After the announcer formally introduced Aurillo, the orchestra started playing the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields,” and finally there was actual sound coming from Aurillo’s guitar.
It was this song that made me realize the true potential of MSO’s Rockestra concept. Aurillo was able to bring out that rock flavor with his focused and meditative playing, while the orchestra was the power house that backed him up. The sound was overwhelmingly good; any emotions that the song wanted to convey were magnified. You could feel it with every percussion hit, every wind instrument blown, and every string instrument bowed.
Aurillo and the orchestra continued to play a few more songs. “Eleanor Rigby,” also by the Beatles, was performed with a jazzy style and a Middle-Eastern feel due to the minor scales used. The men of the orchestra sang a section of “Material Girl” by Madonna, their deep voices adding an element of surprise and variety to the concert. “Little Drummer Boy” was successfully pulled off, melding Christmas, rock, and classical music.
Finally, Aurillo and the MSO performed “We are the Champions,” which Belle and I agreed did not sound powerful enough, or “champion-ish” enough. It could even be described as ballad-like. But then again, some people might find the MSO’s interpretation beautiful in its own way.
A BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE
Aia De Leon came onstage in the middle of the two main sets and began singing “Sundo,” a song hailing back to her days in Imago. The orchestra sounded perfect with her smooth, clean voice. She seemed hesitant initially — perhaps she was trying to get a feel of the song or trying to manage her nervousness. She gained traction as she kept on singing, and she was able to pull off the fortes (the dramatic loud part of the song) which garnered her applause.
While Aurillo was tasked to play the heavier rock, Silent Sanctuary played their softer love songs. It is important to note that unlike the previous pieces in the concert, the band’s songs were originally intended to be performed with the backing of a cello and a violin, so the songs felt a little more organic.
They started with “Hiling,” whose intro is reminiscent of a Walt Disney movie. Sarkie Sarangay’s mellow, light voice entered gently, dreamy and romantic. The lyrics, the arrangement, and Sarangay’s voice fully complemented one another. A downside was that the orchestra sometime drowned out Sarangay’s voice. Other than that, the MSO supported Silent Sanctuary very well and provided a power and thickness to the strings which is not found in the band’s studio recordings.
Their third, “Sa’yo,” started with just vocals and the keyboards, and then one by one, the other instruments joined in, escalating fantastically. It’s a perfect song for any romantic fairy-tale movie.
BOMBASTIC FINALE
Aurillo returned for the final set while Silent Sanctuary’s violinist and cellist joined the orchestra.
The MSO played Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 crossed with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” It was a great concept, however technical difficulties struck again and Aurillo’s guitar was silent. You could see that Aurillo’s virtuoso hand moving swiftly across the fretboard and could only wish you could will the guitar to start working.
Heavy metal fans might disagree with MSO’s arrangement as there was no distortion for the guitar. You can’t have metal without distortion, right? But they did get the strong bass lines and excellent timing for the drums; my foot was stomping at every beat.
The final piece was Carmina Burana by Carl Orff crossed with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Personally, I felt both songs were inappropriate for a finale: they both start off weak then rise in volume as they continue. I feel that pieces like these are better placed in the middle of the concert when you want to build up excitement again. These preferences aside, the orchestra finished these works strongly.
A GOOD END
Despite its faults, Rockestra 2018 was enjoyable. In the moments when everything went right, I felt the excitement of a rock concert and the glorious power of an orchestra.
As a metal and heavy rock lover, I would give the show 3.5 out of 5 stars. There were too many technical issues that prevented the rock side of the show from being expressed, and, I found the show wasn’t “hard” rock enough. However, my classical music listener side appreciated the orchestra’s effort and would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
My companion, Belle, thought that her overall Rockestra 2018 experience was satisfactory. She appreciated that the MSO showed the contrast between rock and classical and attempted several times to mix the two genres. She said, “I give the MSO and all the artists a thumbs up for giving this experiment a chance.” She gave the show a 3.5 out 5 stars.
So, would it be worth it to watch the next Rockestra? As long as the MSO learns the lessons from this attempt, they would do great. Each musician did not lack in individual skill. The root of their problems was purely logistical; once they solve that, they will be able to give a truly world-shaking performance.

MPIC unit completes deal for 12% stake in Air21

THE logistics unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) has completed its acquisition of a 12% stake in logistics services provider Air21, in line with its goal to become the leading player in the sector within the next two years.
Metropac Movers, Inc. (MMI) President and Chief Executive Officer Marilyn V. Aquino said it has sealed the deal for a minority share in Air21 last July, adding the company has the option to further raise its ownership to as high as 100% in the future.
“12% is an entry point to understand the business more… Until we know the complexity of the business and the major challenges, then we can raise it… We have been granted certain rights to increase our stake. There is no cap,” Ms. Aquino told reporters during a media briefing organized by its parent in Makati City yesterday.
The acquisition is part of the infrastructure conglomerate’s goal to ramp up its investments in the logistics sector, in a bid to keep up with the rising e-commerce industry and need for more warehousing spaces in the country.
“The focus of this business is to provide our FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) clients with first class transportation, warehousing, and other order fulfillment as we broaden our service offering to include cross docking and cold chain services,” MPIC said in a statement.
Ms. Aquino said MMI is boosting its warehousing capacity in the next two years. The company is currently in discussions with partners to build a six-hectare warehouse in Davao.
“We have a partner that owns a 10-hectare warehouse in Davao. When this six-hectare facility is finalized and agreed upon then we could have a strong presence in Davao,” Ms. Aquino said.
MMI recently announced that it is investing P8 billion to expand its warehousing spaces. This includes the acquisition of 200,000 square meters of land in Cavite, which will be converted into 141,000 sq.m of covered warehouse space. The company will further purchase 300,000 sq.m of land in Bulacan.
MPIC President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim noted the logistics unit’s strategy is to build warehouses as demanded by its clients. It takes the company around six months to finish a facility.
In addition to warehousing, MMI will also invest in the construction of cold storage facilities.
“We’re going to be discussing partnerships with several existing cold storage facility firms… (it takes) around two years to build cold storage facilities (located) in the north and south,” Ms. Aquino said.
The company, which started commercial operations two years ago, expects to be profitable by 2019. — Arra B. Francia

Dark synth-pop singer Robyn back after 8 years

NEW YORK — Robyn, the Swedish singer whose dark yet danceable synth-pop has won her an avid fan base, returned Wednesday with a song off her first album in eight years.
“Missing U” is driven by a quick-paced and airy electronic keyboard with a tinge of melancholy over a retro synthesized bass, true to Robyn’s signature style of sad but energetic love songs.
The usually reclusive singer accompanied the track with a short documentary film in which she shows up at a long-running twice-a-year party in Brooklyn devoted to her music.
Robyn emerged in the early 1990s in Sweden as a child star and soon developed a niche cultural status rare to such seemingly mainstream pop singers, with her hits such as “Dancing On My Own” and “Show Me Love” in steady rotation at gay clubs and the singer preferring to work with underground DJs rather than major producers.
Robyn, who goes only by her first name, said that she spent much of the time since her last album, 2010’s Body Talk, traveling, going to a therapist and, in line with her song, dancing by herself.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1, Robyn said that she had finished recording her latest album and expected it to be released in 2018.
“I feel like what’s different about it, maybe, is that there is this sensuality and a softness to it that maybe wasn’t there before in the same way,” she said.
“And I think it came also from just shutting down for a while and hearing myself… going inside instead of outside,” she said.
Robyn, 39, has still performed periodically since her last album and wrote a song last year for the final season of the HBO series Girls. — AFP

Metro Pacific core profit jumps 10% in 1st half

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter
METRO PACIFIC Investments Corp. (MPIC) delivered a 10% growth in consolidated core profit during the first six months of 2018, fueled by the growth across its portfolio and increased investments in the power sector.
The infrastructure conglomerate said in a disclosure to the stock exchange on Thursday that consolidated core net income climbed to P8.6 billion from January to June, higher than the P7.8 billion it generated in the same period a year ago.
Systemwide revenues grew by nine percent to P200.3 billion, including revenues from power distribution unit Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
“This was basically driven by strong volume growth across the various operating units and the increased investment we have in the power sector… traffic has been strong in our domestic roads, we have contributions from overseas investments as well. And for Maynilad (Water Services, Inc.) we had both volume and tariff increases for inflation during the first half,” MPIC President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim said in a media briefing in Makati City on Thursday.
Meralco contributed 55% to MPIC’s net operating income, followed by toll roads at 21%, and water at 20%. The hospital group accounted for three percent, while the rail, logistics, and systems group accounted for one percent.
MPIC’s power business, through Meralco and Global Business Power Corp., increased its contribution to the parent by 10%. Meralco alone generated P150.5 billion in revenues, seven percent higher year-on-year on the back of higher energy sales and increased pass-through generation charges. Core net income accordingly grew by seven percent to P10.9 billion during the first half.
Global Power meanwhile increased its core profit by seven percent to P1.3 billion through its volume expansion.
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) reported a 12% core profit increase to P2.1 billion. The toll roads operator benefited from the 57% increase in the number of systemwide vehicle entries to 924,364 on average per day, which was mainly due to the contribution of its recent investment in Indonesian firm PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk.
MPTC is the operator of the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Cavite-Tarlac Expressway, and the Cavite Expressway inside the Philippines. Overseas, it operates DMT in Bangkok, Thailand and CII B&R in Vietnam.
MPIC’s water business, which consists of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and MetroPac Water Investments Corp., booked a P2.1 billion core profit for the period, with the former contributing bulk of the earnings. Volume of water sold in the west part of Metro Manila went up by three percent, mainly due to the higher temperatures experienced in the metro during summer time, leading to higher water usage.
Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc. saw a 12% increase in out-patient visits and 15% uptick in in-patient admissions, given its acquisition of Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital in Quezon City and St. Elizabeth Hospital in General Santos City last year.
Meanwhile, its logistics firm MetroPac Movers, Inc. said it has yet to contribute to MPIC’s earnings during the period given that it is still pursuing several projects to expand its warehousing and distribution units.
MPIC spent P21.3 billion in capital expenditures during the first half of the year, excluding investments for acquisitions.
For the rest of 2018, MPIC continues to expect growth among its units. The company however noted the impact of the delay in tariff increases as well as right-of-way acquisition to its operations.
“Volume will remain strong. We need to work hard with the government to accelerate rights of way delivery so we can get construction started and funds deployed on our current tollways projects,” MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said in a statement.
“I remain optimistic that settlement will be reached at the end of the day. Uncertainty is felt by investors in our financial market and by counterparties unsure of such resolutions,” Mr. Pangilinan added.
MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of First Pacific, the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.
Shares in MPIC gained 3.09% or 15 centavos to close at P5 each at the stock exchange on Thursday.

More time needed for second list of labor violators — DoLE

THE LABOR department is seeking more time from President Rodrigo R. Duterte to complete its second list of companies allegedly involved in illegal contractualization.
In a briefing on Thursday, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said: “We’re expecting the president to give us another month to submit the additional list,” and added that inspections of company labor practices are ongoing.
The original deadline for the second list was mid-July.
Mr. Bello said in June that the DoLE will release a second list focusing on television networks and hospitals involved in labor-only contracting arrangements. Last month, DoLE said the Labor Inspection Auditors (LIAs) will also look into security agencies and companies in economic zones.
He added that after the LIAs file their reports, the information will need to be validated.
He noted that some of the companies that have been inspected and included in the list submitted a regularization program for their contractual workers before inspection.
“We have to find out if they really regularized (their workers),” Mr. Bello said, adding this represents additional work for the LIAs.
Mr. Bello said he expects the second list to “have the same number of non-compliant companies” as the first list, which was released in May.
On May 28, DoLE released a list of 3,377 companies alleged to be engaged in illegal labor practices. Of the total, 2,610 were “suspected” while 765 were “found” to have been engaged in labor-only contracting.
He added that it is possible the second list will be smaller because companies have concluded that the government is serious and that he expects some firms to “comply voluntarily without getting a compliance order from us.”
During the briefing, Mr. Bello said one company, a media network, hid its workers during inspections.
“We visited a network, and when the labor inspectors left, someone texted me to say that the workers were hidden away, which is why I ordered the inspector to return.’
He did not disclose the name of the network. — Gillian M. Cortez

Rapper Shanti Dope celebrates a successful 1st year in music

RAPPER Shanti Dope marks his first anniversary as an artist under Universal Records with an upcoming collaboration and a concert.
Growing up in Blumentritt, Manila, Sean Patrick Ramos was exposed to fliptop (rap battles) when he was only seven-years-old. “May kalaro ako na mahilig mag-Youtube tapos natuklasan niya yung fliptop. Sinabi niya sa akin. Hanggang sa sumikat ’yun sa lugar namin. Maraming mga batang nagba-battle rap tapos na-inspire din ako. (I had a playmate was into Youtube and discovered fliptop. He told me about it. Then it became popular in our area. There were many children who’d do rap battles and I got inspired too,” the 17-year-old rapper told BusinessWorld at a press conference last week at the Universal Tower in Quezon City.
“Una, nilalaro ko lang siya hanggang sa ‘di ko alam na rap na pala yung ginagawa ko (At first, I just played with [the words] until I later realized that I was already doing rap),” he added.
Mr. Ramos decided on the name “Shanti” after discovering that it meant “peace” — a word he picked up from his father who practices Krishna Consciousness; and, according to the rapper, he added, “dope” at the end “para astig (because it was cool).”
The young rapper’s uncle, Lester “Klumcee” Vaño, who acts as his producer and co-manager, introduced him to multi-awarded rapper Gloc-9 and helped Mr. Ramos land a record deal at Universal Records in August 2017.
That same year, Shanti Dope released his self-titled EP followed by a second EP, Materyal. His hit song “Nadarang” garnered over 20 million views and streams after seven months on Spotify and five months on YouTube.
The rapper noted that those accomplishments have motivated him to create new material, “Mas ginanahan akong tapusin ’yung mga kailangan kong tapusin (I am more motivated to finish what needs to be finished),” he said.
Mr. Ramos described his writing process: he would sit with his uncle-producer who would help him come up with a song concept, then he would write the lyrics. The rapper’s themes mostly come from everyday experiences and stories he sees on the news.
Aside from music as a career, Mr. Ramos considers music as a stress reliever. “Nailalabas ko lahat ng gusto kong sabihin sa isang araw (I get to express all that I need to in one day),” he said.
“Gumagawa lang ako ng bagay na magwawala ng atensyon ko ng sandali sa music hanggang sa ma-miss ko ulit siya, gagawa ulit ako ng bago (I will do things that momentarily take my attention away from music, until I miss it again and get back at creating new material),” Mr. Ramos said about coping with writer’s block.
As Gloc-9’s protégé, the young rapper recalled a piece of advice from the multi-awarded rapper: “Maraming naghahangad pero bilang lang ang napipili. Kaya hangga’t maaaring nakuha mo na yung pagkakataon, sulitin mo na (Many seek but few are chosen. For as long as you get the opportunity, make the most out of it).”
In celebration of his first year in the industry, Shanti’s upcoming projects include a new album, and an international collaboration with Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Mimi.
Shanti and Gloc-9 will also be special guests in the Ultimate Hiphop OG Bone Thugs-N-Harmony concert on Sept. 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena at Entertainment City in Parañaque.
The Shanti Dope and Materyal EPs are available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon under Universal Records. Tickets for the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony concert are out now via SM Tickets. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Grab raises $2B to fight ride-hailing competition

SINGAPORE — Ride-hailing firm Grab said on Thursday it has raised $2 billion from investors to expand its offerings including electronic payments, food delivery and courier services as it fights fierce competition in the fast-growing sector.
Around half of the funds came from Japanese car giant Toyota, which announced last month it was pumping $1 billion into Grab, Southeast Asia’s dominant ride-share company.
Grab said a “significant portion” of the proceeds would go to developing operations in Indonesia, where it has partnered with local firm Ovo to offer what it said was the country’s most widely accepted mobile payments system.
The announcement comes after Grab’s regional rival, Indonesian ride-hailing app Go-Jek, said in May it was investing $500 million to expand into Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.
Singapore-based Grab, which operates in eight countries, launched an on-demand grocery delivery service in Jakarta last month.
Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing market is expected to be worth $20 billion by 2025, according to research by Google and Singapore investment vehicle Temasek.
However, Grab’s agreement to buy US giant Uber’s Southeast Asian business this year has run into trouble, with Singapore’s anti-monopoly watchdog calling for changes to the deal and threatening to overturn it.
Grab last week disputed the watchdog’s finding that the buyout infringed competition rules, but vowed it would continue to cooperate with the ongoing review.
In return for selling its Southeast Asian ride-hailing and food operations, Uber received a 27.5% stake in Grab.
Since the merger, several new players, including India’s Jugnoo and Singapore-based Ryde, have entered the city-state’s ride-hailing market. — AFP

Japan’s labor crunch is reshaping how companies attract workers

TOKYO — Misaki Harada wants to quit her job as a receptionist at a restaurant management company in Tokyo and move into marketing for an apparel maker.
But the 24-year-old said she wanted more than just a bigger paycheck. Her next employer would need to improve her quality of life.
“If you ask me whether I prefer more money or more flexible working hours, I would choose more flexible working hours,” she said. “I want to get married soon and start a family. I want to make sure I have time to take care of my children.”
As Japan’s population dwindles, its companies are being forced to change how they attract job seekers like Harada from an ever-shrinking labor pool.
Nationwide, there are 1.62 jobs available for every job seeker, the strongest demand for labor in more than 44 years. The jobless rate is 2.4 percent, near a 25-year low, and real wages adjusted for inflation have fallen in five of the past six years.
Flexible working hours, personal benefits like day care and even rent assistance are now on the table alongside salary.
Such perks, common in the United States and Europe, are only just catching on Japan, which until recently relied on a culture of complete devotion to an employer in exchange for job security and steady pay increases.
Toyota, for instance, opened a 24-hour day care facility in April for shift workers at its plants near its headquarters in Toyota City.
“Japanese companies are becoming more flexible about when and where you work,” said Toshiaki Matsumoto, chief executive of HR Strategy, a human resources consultancy.
Some companies, like Jtekt Corp., the world’s biggest supplier of vehicle steering systems, are simply moving some of their operations away from competition.
Jtekt last year cut the ribbon on a new technology development center in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan, known more for its rice, sake and namesake dog breed than engineering. The facility, which will develop technology for self-driving cars, is far from other companies hiring into the industry.
So far the company, a key supplier of Toyota Motor Corp., has hired about 20 engineers and plans to roughly double its workforce by the end of the year.
“In larger cities, it’s difficult to get across the message that we are hiring because we’re competing with many companies for the same talent,” said Fukami Imai, the center’s representative director.
Denso Corp., another Toyota supplier, took the opposite route, moving part of its self-driving research program to Tokyo because it is a more attractive locale than its headquarters in gritty Nagoya.
“Some companies are offering free food or subsidizing rent so workers can shorten commuting time,” Matsumoto said. “Some companies even provide counseling and time off for couples trying to conceive.”
FORCED TO ADAPT
Japan’s working-age population peaked in 1995 at 87 million and is forecast to fall to 45 million by 2065. Businesses slow to respond to that demographic change have been hit hard.
Silicon Technology, a semiconductor material maker, is running one rural plant at half-capacity because it can’t hire enough workers. Toyobo Co. Ltd. said it needs to ramp up production of film used in flat-panel displays, but can’t fully staff the production line.
Keeping employees from quitting — and not just throwing money at the problem — is another crucial piece of the labor puzzle, experts say.
“My new employer paid me more money, but the working hours were awful,” said Daisuke Okamoto, 42, an accountant who left a job in advertising in April for a position at a consumer goods company. “At first, I had a lot of regret. Now the company has given me more flexible working hours and the freedom to occasionally work from home, so I feel better about the job.”
Daikisangyo, which assembles plane fuselages and wings for Boeing Co., was having trouble retaining new employees. Then it introduced a mentoring program that reduced turnover to zero, at least for now.
“It’s not just about the money anymore,” said Tsuyoshi Saso, a manager at Interworks, a nationwide recruitment site for jobs in manufacturing. “They also want to work in a positive work environment with good colleagues.”
Foreign workers can help fill some of the gaps, although they make up only about 2% of the current labor force, and companies hiring for “unskilled” positions like farm work must rely on trainees under an internship program that lasts up to five years.
The government has said it will create new categories for foreign workers with more limited skills, but will issue only a small number of such visas.
Mazda Motor Corp.’s suppliers, which typically operate independently, are cooperating to figure out the best way to use artificial intelligence and robots to remove human workers from the equation altogether.
“Our goal is to create unmanned production lines that can operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Masato Uno, chairman of the Hiroshima Manufacturing Engineering Association, a consortium of Mazda suppliers and IT companies. “We expect this to address problems with productivity and labor shortages.” — Reuters

Nicki Minaj hunting for Tracy Chapman for sample clearance as album awaits release

NEW YORK — Rapper Nicki Minaj said Wednesday that she is pushing back her new album as she desperately seeks to reach Tracy Chapman to clear a sample.
Chapman, the deep-voiced and intensely private folk singer behind socially conscious songs such as the 1988 classic “Fast Car,” has pulled off the increasingly rare feat of being nowhere to be found online as Minaj pleaded via her 20 million followers each on Instagram and Twitter.
In a tweet this week that she later deleted, Minaj wrote that a song on her upcoming album, Queen, features one of “the greatest rappers of all time” but that she had “no clue it sampled the legend #TracyChapman.”
Minaj, whose album will be her first in four years, proceeded to poll her followers to ask whether she should delete the track or delay the album.
The latter option apparently won. Writing on her Apple Music account on Thursday, Minaj said the album would come out Aug. 17. She earlier had announced it for June and then pushed it back to Aug. 10.
Minaj also posted a text conversation conducted through a fan in which Chapman is offered $2 million to grant permission in time for an Aug. 10 release.
Chapman, 54, has said that she has no desire to spend time on social media.
A number of fans voiced offense at Minaj’s full-court push.
“I can’t believe that this is the kind of disrespect that Tracy Chapman is getting for merely not replying!!” tweeted one user with the handle @nasque.
Minaj did not specify the rapper behind the supposedly obscure Chapman sample but her praiseworthy tone led fans to think she was referring to Eminem. The two rappers have suggested in flirtatious public remarks that they may be romantically involved.
Chris Brown, the singer and rapper controversial over his history of domestic violence, sampled “Fast Car” in his song “Run Away.”
Minaj, one of the top women in hip-hop, has already released three songs from Queen including “Bed,” a tropically infused, sexually charged duet with pop singer Ariana Grande, and “Chun-Li,” a nod to Asian martial arts and video-game culture. — AFP

Security Bank rationalizes branches in digital push

By Karl Angelo N. Vidal, Reporter
SECURITY BANK Corp. is easing its branch expansion as it rationalizes its existing network amid its digitalization push.
Alfonso L. Salcedo, Jr., Security Bank president and chief executive officer, said the bank will open less branches this year as it rationalizes its offices in favor of its growing its digital presence.
“We’re slowing down this year because what we have been focusing on is rationalizing our existing branches,” Mr. Salcedo told reporters in a chance interview last week.
“In simple words, we’ve been relocating or putting our branches in the right places,” he added, noting that it will open “less than five branches” this year.
“[We’re putting up] maybe less than five [branches] because we’re focused on growing our digital platform,” Mr. Salcedo said, adding that pushing for digital banking is a more efficient way to distribute products.
Abigail Marie D. Casanova, consumer business and operations group head at Security Bank, explained that opening more offices to reach more clients might not be as effective as it was generations before.
“Looking at the digital nature of the upcoming generation, the brick and mortar model may not be as effective as it was maybe one or two generations ago,” Ms. Casanova told BusinessWorld in an interview on Thursday.
The lender added that it will continue to place basic transactions into its digital platforms in order for its branches to handle more complex banking transactions.
“That’s what the thrust is — not exactly to pepper the country with branches, but more to drive people into digital,” Ms. Casanova added, while noting that pushing for digital banking will enable the bank to reach more clients in the far-flung areas in the country.
“That would be a game changer because far-flung areas can be reached without putting massive infrastructure for the bank.”
Currently, Ms. Casanova said, Security Bank’s individual clients are able to access their bank accounts, transfer funds and apply for loans through mobile and online platforms.
Security Bank’s net income stood at P2.35 billion in the first quarter, down 16.6% due to lower trading gains.
Shares in the bank declined P4 or 1.94% to close at P202 apiece on Thursday.

Toyota Philippines to roll out new model to perk up sales amid slow demand

TOYOTA Motor Philippines, (TMP) Corp. plans to roll out at least one more model within the year in an attempt to perk up sales as higher excise taxes continue to dampen domestic demand.
“With our new model Vios, we’re trying to catch up to reach the same [sales] level of last year. But still, we have to maybe accept, I think around closer to 10% down (in sales) for this year. But we’re trying to minimize that,” TMP President Satoru Suzuki told reporters, Wednesday night, during the company’s celebration of its 30th anniversary held in Taguig City.
TMP launched its fourth-generation Vios last July 20.
Mr. Suzuki said TMP’s total sales are expected to drop “near to 10%” this year. In the first half, TMP’s sales have already dropped 15% year-on-year.
Asked if another model will be launched after the Vios, Mr. Suzuki replied in the positive, saying there will be “at least one more” type to be introduced before the end of the year.
TMP slashed this year’s vehicle output by nearly 17% to 50,000 units from 2017’s record high 60,000 units, factoring in the effects of the higher excise taxes and soaring inflation.
“We expected first half maybe (there will be a) slowdown because of such negative reaction… But maybe latter half we expected market to catch up to the growing trend. But it still did not happen and continued to negative growth compared to last year,” Mr. Suzuki said.
He said rising inflation has compelled consumers to spend “a lot of money on the other very fundamental goods and services.”
“They cannot afford to buy a car at this moment. Some postpone or give up… Our market now, I think, I can say, is very bad,” Mr. Suzuki added.
However, this is expected to be temporary as consumers will see higher salaries that will encourage them to buy cars.
“The economy is growing so when businesses grow, there’s demand for vehicles for business use so that in itself is natural demand in a growing country, in a country with a young population… As you know cars is one of the first things they would like to own. That in itself is something to look forward to,” Alfred V. Ty, TMP vice chairman, said.
Mr. Ty noted the domestic demand for vehicles is still far from reaching its maximum point and is still lagging behind some ASEAN countries.
“Were only at $3,000 GDP (gross domestic product) so we’re just starting. You cannot say we have reached the peak [of motor demand] because our demand is only half of Indonesia and then Thailand is ahead of us by 30%. Vietnam is below us but growing fast. They’re following the trend of the Philippines in terms of growth,” he added.
TMP Senior Vice President for Marketin, Jose Maria Atienza said the firm is targeting to expand its dealership network to 70 this year. As of end-July, TMP has 67 dealers.
TMP is a joint venture between Ty-led conglomerate GT Capital Holdings, Inc. and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. —Janina C. Lim

DoLE to assist PLDT workers involved in contractualization

THE LABOR department said it will assist the 7,000 or so contractual workers of PLDT, Inc. (PLDT) through an “emergency employment program.”
“As a form of assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), we will provide them an emergency employment program,” Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said in a briefing on Thursday.
He said these workers of PLDT will be provided assistance equivalent to 10 days’ work and the corresponding pay, alongside other forms of assistance, which he did not detail.
“It is not the right time to tell the public what actions the department will take but these actions will always be for the enforcement of our order and… meet the immediate needs of our workers,” Mr. Bello said.
He said legal action against PLDT is in the works, which “will take time to prepare.”
PLDT filed a manifestation on July 24 questioning the “validity” of the DoLE’s clarificatory order on its labor practices issued on July 11.
“We respect their decision on that. They have their lawyers and they give them all the legal assistance they can provide,” Mr. Bello said.
“But we have a DoLE procedure and that Clarificatory (Order) is very clear that the employees, referring to the 7,000+ workers, are regular employees of PLDT (and) not the service provider.”
PLDT has since filed a petition for Certiorari with the Court of Appeals.
Mr. Bello said that PLDT has not received a temporary restraining order, which means the clarificatory order remains in effect.
“They weren’t able to obtain a temporary restraining order so under the rules of procedure, our order has become executory,” he said.
PLDT was asked for comment but had not replied as of deadline time.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Gillian M. Cortez

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