SCUTTLEBUTT

OC Sec!

A Cabinet secretary has been under scrutiny by journos covering her agency, as the secretary, unable to control her temper, “reprimands” people even in front of fellow officials and reporters.

Her latest flare-up happened when an agency official who was serving as an “emcee” failed to identify himself and was corrected by the secretary a few times.

Before this, the secretary scolded a department head when the official’s spiel exceeded his line in the script.

The secretary herself is not that impressive as when asked critical questions by journalists all she could say is, “I’ll get back to you on that but that’s a wonderful question!”

Reporters, too, are annoyed over her never-ending postponement of press conferences, some on short notice, or even though the journalists are already on their way or are already at the venue.

Beat reporters are always unsure about covering press conferences she calls, with one journo saying: “Pass na, baka canceled na naman kapag malapit na tayo (Let’s pass this up, it might get canceled again when we’re almost there).”

A worn-out excuse for canceling a briefing: “She was called to Malacañang,” even if the President was later found to be out of town.

Making waves in France

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista set sail for France in December 2024 to visit the Ocea shipyard. This was not just a casual visit — it was a mission to strengthen maritime ties between the Philippines and France.

Joining him was Commodore Glide Gene Mary Sontillanosa and her six-member Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) team. Ocea CEO Roland Joassard showcased the shipyard’s expertise, aligning with the PCG’s plans to acquire 40 fast patrol craft through a French official development assistance (ODA) package. Ocea will build half of the boats in France and the rest in the Philippines — a true French-Filipino collaboration.

But Ocea isn’t stopping there. By 2026, it plans to open a cutting-edge shipyard in the Philippines, creating jobs and transferring advanced shipbuilding tech to Filipino engineers. The delegation also got a peek at Ocea’s futuristic maritime gear, including drones, solar ferries, and high-tech buoys.

Bautista rounded out his trip with talks on air traffic, railways, and space with French leaders, including Ministers François Durovray and Fabrice Loher, plus major players like Airbus and Arianespace.

The patrol craft, set to turbocharge the PCG’s operations, symbolize a promising maritime partnership. With France on board, the Philippines is charting a wave-making future. Bon voyage!