Mr. President, my dear colleagues:

I rise today with great sorrow and grief, but also with gratitude, to honor the life and express the profound sympathy of this august chamber on the death of the Honorable Senator Rene Saguisag.

This representation is fortunate to have encountered Senator Saguisag in this lifetime. My advocacies were inspired by his work and his compassion for ordinary Filipino workers. Like Senator Saguisag, his son and our good friend Atty. Rebo, who is also the UAAP Executive Director, and I also share the same passion not just for public service but also basketball and sports development.

We thank his children for accepting our invitation to be with us today. We extend our sincere condolences to Atty. Rebo, Sir Nonoy, Ms. Lara, Sir Laurence, and Ms. Caissa, and to the entire family. The Senate of the Philippines and the entire nation are with you, as we mourn the loss of your father – an extraordinary public servant whose courage and commitment never wavered. 

They say the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. I say, I have never seen anyone who fought as hard and as fiercely as (Tito) Sen. Rene in bending this proverbial arc to bring justice to the oppressed, the down-trodden, and the poor and disenfranchised Filipinos.

He is the gold standard in the legal community – an honest and good natured lawyer and human rights defender. He provided legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses during the Martial Law period. Sen. Rene was a prominent member of the Free Legal Assistance Group, founded in 1974 by distinguished Senators and legal luminaries, Jose W. Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada. They handled various cases against law enforcers accused of killing peasants, activists, and journalists. They would eventually start the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity, and Nationalism, Incorporated or MABINI, whose cases have led to landmark Supreme Court decisions. He was also generous with his time and talents as he helped shape the legal minds of young Filipinos through his work as a professor of Constitutional Law and Human Rights Law at San Beda. 

Sen. Saguisag lived a modest and principled life, from which the ordinary Filipino can draw inspiration. While attending his undergraduate and Law classes at San Beda College, he worked as a checker, a laborer, a construction site guard, and a messenger to make ends meet. His brilliance and determination landed him a full scholarship to the prestigious Harvard University where he earned his Master of Law degree. The ordinary boy from Pasig and Mauban, Quezon went on to become one of the best legislators that our beloved institution has ever had. 

Senator Saguisag has gone home to our Lord; he is no longer with us, but he left the Filipino people an enduring legacy – to learn from, to aspire, to abide by, and to pin our hopes on. He authored two landmark legislations to uphold the integrity and highest standards in public service — Republic Act No. 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” and Republic Act No. 6770 or the “Ombudsman Act of 1989.” 

Allow me to share excerpts of his sponsorship speech on the Ethical Standards for Public Officers bill in 1987:

“(The Bill) elevates the commitment to public interest, justness, and fairness, political neutrality, responsiveness to the public, nationalism, commitment to democracy, and simple living as ethical principles which must be upheld by all public servants. It also imposes penalties on violations of the act…to serve as a constant reminder to those who may be tempted to betray the public trust, and find meaningless the truism that public service, to a greater extent, is indeed its own reward…The hope is that this bill will help effect structural, as well as attitudinal or behavioral changes; the hope is that it will help lay down the proper moral infrastructure in a long and rocky road; the hope is that it will provide a moral compass, an ethical fixed star to help us find our way.”

Mr. President, Senator Saguisag embodied these words throughout his life. He started his career in public service without having to spend a single centavo during the election. While in office, he never allowed himself to be consumed or tempted by power. He said in an interview, “it was not hard to give up power” because he told himself and even his staff, and I quote, “we are only here for a short visit.” And even when he was no longer a legislator, he never stopped serving the public. The Honorable Senator Saguisag was, indeed, in every sense of the word, Honorable. This enduring legacy, this example that he set, will serve as a beacon to current and future public servants. To paraphrase him, his life and legacy will always be a “fixed star” to guide us and help us find our way. 

In closing, Mr. President, let me share to the body one of the phrases that Senator Saguisag liked to use in his speeches and interviews. The beautiful Spanish phrase, “Amor con amor se paga.” Love is repaid with love. He believed that he was elected by the Filipino people out of love and gratitude. And he repaid this with love, as best exemplified by his work and commitment to serve. 

Today, we commit to repay the love and devotion he has shown to his country and his people by honoring his memory and his legacy, and following his example. 

Again, we offer our deepest sympathy to his family. Thank you, Atty. Rebo, Sir Nonoy, Ms. Lara, Sir Laurence, and Ms. Caissa, for sharing your father with us and with the whole nation. 

Thank you, Mr. President, and may God bless us all.

Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED)

Protect VIP, a network of civil society, communities, and people’s organizations advocating for the protection of the Verde Island Passage (VIP), raised concern over the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by three of the country’s developers of fossil gas – Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), reportedly to help conserve the critically biodiverse marine corridor.
The VIP is known as the “center of the center” of marine shore fish biodiversity in the world, and is dubbed as the Amazon of the oceans. Protect VIP has been actively raising alarm over the massive development of fossil gas facilities in Batangas, which comprises a part of the VIP, of which the three companies are also proponents of.
“There is no reason not to welcome efforts seeking to preserve the Verde Island Passage, which supports millions of Filipinos with their sustenance and livelihood. But MPIC, SMC, and Aboitiz cannot blame us if we raise questions over the sincerity of this MOU, considering their fossil gas business is one of the worst risks confronting the VIP today. By building more fossil gas power plants in the VIP, it is exposing the marine corridor and adjacent communities to pollution, biodiversity and livelihood disruption, and exacerbated effects of the climate crisis,” said Gerry Arances, Executive Director of sustainability think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), a co-convenor of Protect VIP.
5 of 6 existing fossil gas facilities, 4 of 7 proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and 9 of 39 gas power plants proposed in the Philippines are located in Batangas. The three companies also recently signed a $3.3-billion energy deal for the completion and operation of the 1,750 MW Excellent Energy Resources, Inc. LNG power plant, set to be the first LNG plant to operate in the country targeting commencement before the end of 2024.
“If SMC, AEV, and MPIC are genuine in their “joint stewardship”, building a multibillion gas project that would only bring harm to the VIP shouldn’t push through in the first place. These three conglomerates can show their sincerity in protecting the VIP by stopping their fossil gas expansion plans, prioritizing instead the development of clean energy from renewables and helping contribute to building the resilience of marine and coastal biodiversity and communities,” Arances said.
Meanwhile, policy directions that would genuinely help eliminate risks to the VIP should be the priority of DENR and DOE, the group said.
“The DENR is already advocating for the inclusion of the VIP in the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area Systems. Prioritizing this would be the best course of action for the DENR to be true to its mandate of protecting the environment. The DOE, meanwhile, can help protect the VIP by ending its reckless endorsement and promotion of fossil gas and other destructive energy sources,” said Arances.

Glenn Guillermo

HERMOSA, BATAAN – Anti-narcotic operatives on Tuesday (May 7) dismantled a makeshift drug den that led in the arrest of four individuals and confiscation of some Php 102,000.00 worth of shabu after a buy-bust operation around 12:40 p.m., in Purok 1, Barangay Tipo, Hermosa town.

PDEA team leader identified the suspected drug den operator as JERRY LOYOLA y VILLENA, male, 41 years old. Also arrested were the following:

1. FERNANDO FRANCISCO Jr. y DOPITAS, male, 47 years old, married;

2. JOHN LAWRENCE y BULATAO, male,  21 years old, single; and

3. MARK CRISTIAN NEBRIDA y URBANO, male, 31 years old, single.

Apprehended suspects yielded a total of eight (8) plastic sachets containing more or less 15 grams of shabu worth Pho 102,000.00; assorted drug paraphernalia; and the marked money.

Recovered illegal items will be forwarded to PDEA RO III laboratory and will undergo forensic examination.

The operation was conducted by the combined elements of PDEA Tarlac and Bataan Provincial Offices and the local police.

Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the arrested suspects.

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The Luzon Central 2 Division of the Social Security System (SSS) is expected to collect P14.57 million worth of unremitted contribution and penalties from 80 erring employers in the provinces of Bulacan, Zambales and Pampanga during the simultaneous Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) Campaign on April 30, 2024, the eve of Labor Day in Central Luzon.

SSS Vice President for Luzon Central 2 Division Gloria Corazon M. Andrada said 63 of the employers failed to remit the SSS and Employees’ Compensation (EC) contributions of their employees while 17 of them failed to register their businesses with the SSS.

“Our President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet acknowledged the effectiveness of the RACE campaign in reminding employers of their obligation to remit their workers’ contributions. As a result, this year, we are beefing up the number of RACE operations per branch by sixfold, wherein each branch will conduct 12 RACE operations in 2024,” Andrada added.

Andrada said that the SSS recognized the significant contribution of employees to the success of every company and assured its members that SSS would compel these delinquent employers to fulfill their duties for continued social security coverage of workers.

She added that employers who received the written notices have 15 days to coordinate with their respective servicing SSS branch offices to settle their delinquencies or face legal action.

“Employers who fail to register their employees or have not deducted and remitted their contributions to SSS will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 to P20,000 and face imprisonment ranging from six years and one day to 12 years,” Andrada said.

Likewise, she explained delinquent employers will also have to pay the past-due contributions of their workers and its corresponding penalties.

Andrada appealed to employers to religiously remit the contributions of their employees so their workers will not be deprived of the SSS benefits when they need it the most. 

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has achieved a new milestone in its river cleanup advocacy, having removed a total of 6 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from various river systems in and around Metro Manila. 

This total includes more than 3 million tons recently extracted from over 50 kms of rivers across the flood-prone Bulacan province, as part of a major expansion of the conglomerate’s cleanup initiative. These rivers traverse the cities and towns of Meycauayan, Obando, Bulakan, Bocaue, Marilao, Balagtas and Guiguinto in Bulacan. 

This is by far the largest and most extensive river cleanup initiative undertaken by SMC under a long-term, comprehensive effort it started in 2020 to clean up heavily-polluted river systems including the Pasig River, Tullahan River, and San Juan River. 

It has successfully removed nearly 1.2 million metric tons of waste from 26 kilometers of the Pasig River; 1.1 million tons from 11 kms. of the Tullahan River, and almost 320,000 tons from the San Juan river, from 2020 to date.

In October last year, SMC announced that it was expanding its river cleanup initiative in Bulacan and to other provinces and cities, including Pampanga, Navotas, Laguna and Cavite, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units.

Its efforts to desilt the San Isidro River in San Pedro, Laguna has since yielded 343,836 tons of silt and wastes, to date. 

SMC is also gearing up to clean 26 kms. of the heavily silted Pampanga River, which also flows down to Bulacan, and has been identified as a major cause of flooding in both provinces and other nearby areas.

“After four years of continuous effort, we are as determined and committed as ever to continue this advocacy, that has had a positive impact on people, local economies, and our environment. We are very grateful for the support of the DENR, DPWH and our partner LGUs, without whom we would not have achieved so much in such a short time,” Ang said.

“We are also very proud of the hard work and dedication of our river cleanup teams. Their commitment to our advocacy and to the communities, has resulted in the removal of over 6 million tons of wastes and silt to date and covered close to 100 kms. of river channel from the Pasig River, Tullahan River, San Juan River, Bulacan rivers, and San Pedro river–with more to come,” Ang added.

In Bulacan, where SMC has major investments such as the MRT-7 project, the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply project, and the new Manila International Airport project, SMC had committed to help address the province’s long-standing problem with flooding.

Historically, Bulacan has always been flood-prone, due to several factors.

These include its low-lying location, land subsidence due to groundwater extraction and depletion, heavily silted rivers and polluted rivers, and the proliferation in past decades of commercial fishponds along its coastal areas, which impeded the natural flow of floodwaters out to Manila Bay.

“True to our commitment to Bulacan province, our river cleanup efforts are now in full gear. Work is now spread out in nine major river areas. Some of these rivers have become very shallow that their depths were initially measured at only 0.5 to one to two meters. Our target is to deepen them to 3-5 meters, to be able to more efficiently carry out floodwaters, and in some key areas, even enhance biodiversity and ecosystems” Ang said.

Bulacan rivers that were already cleared of silt and waste include: the Taliptip-Maycapiz-Bambang rivers, with a length of 10 kilometers; Meycauayan river from Manila Bay up to NLEX, 12 kms.; Mailad to Bocaue/Sta. Maria River, 8.5 kms.; Guiguinto River up to NLEX, 9.6 kms.; Marilao River, also upstream to NLEX, 4.8 kms; and, Balagtas River, 2.5 kms.

Clean-up is ongoing in Pamarawan river in Malolos, which is also the site of SMC’s 40-hectare biodiversity area for migratory shorebirds, where the initiative has so far covered 1.8 kms of the total 8.9 kms.

At least 584 Bulakenyos benefited from the recent SM Foundation medical and dental mission held at SM City Marilao. Bringing together doctors and volunteers in one venue, the project provided health services to indigent patients in the community.

Making it accessible to the public, the SM Foundation’s medical and dental mission in SM City Marilao offered various services, such as medical and dental checkups and procedures, blood pressure checkups, and basic laboratory examinations that include uric acid, cholesterol, hemoglobin, and blood sugar testing and monitoring.

Free diagnostic and other laboratory services such as electrocardiograms (ECG) and x-ray tests were likewise availed of by the patients through the SM Foundation Mobile Clinic.

Patients from Marilao and other neighboring towns were also provided with free medicines during the medical and dental mission.

This year, SM Foundation’s project and volunteer partners include the Philippine National Red Cross-Bulacan Chapter and the Marilao Municipal Health Office. Private medical companies like DMI Medical Supply Company Inc. and Willore Pharmaceutical also stepped forward to help rural folks through the provision of health supplements and services. 

SM Foundation’s Gamot Para Sa Kapwa Medical and Dental Mission is the socio-civic arm of the SM Group of Companies and aims to provide ancillary services to communities that have limited access to medical services. It also aims to provide immediate dental benefits to economically disadvantaged patients within the malls’ vicinities.

CITY OF MALOLOS–Adapting to modern digital technology urban governance to ease the daily lives of the people while strongly working to continue the preservation and promotion of its heritage and cultural significance and pride–the  Barasoain Church where the Malolos Congress which crafted the Malolos Constitution was held, the House of the Women of Malolos and other ancestral houses of the First Philippine Republic, the food delicacies, etc., this Bulacan capital city now gears to become the “Smart Cultural Heritage City of the North” by 2034. 

The City of Malolos now traverses the road map to become the “Smart Cultural Heritage City of the North” as it leads other primary cities in eighty provinces in the country in becoming smart cities through their own respective economic, cultural, historical and heritage landscape prowess and capabilities.  

Julius Caesar Sicat Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region III Director in a recent Smart Cities Convention and launch of Smart and Creative Communities Network hosted by the Development Academy of the Philippines Center for Strategic Futures (DAP-CSF) held in Makati City, hailed the city government of Malolos under the leadership of Mayor Christian Natividad for taking the challenge and leading all the rest of the other cities in the eighty provinces n the country in working towards to become smart cities. 

Malolos, he said, known for its historical, heritage and cultural significance and contributions to the country will certainly become the pilot provincial level Smart City among Smart communities through digital and modern hub that will be known as the “Smart Cultural Heritage City of the North” in 2034 or within ten years time.   

According to Sicat, through urban governance, the Smart City Malolos must be innovative, cooperative in transforming  communities that use information and communication technologies and other means to address local issues and improve the quality of life and competitiveness in economic, social and environment of the citizens today and in the next generation. 

Majah-Lea V. Ravago, President and CEO of DAP said Malolos can achieve its smart city goals and objectives by being the beneficiary agency of the pilot implementation of DAP-CSF’s Linking Innovation Partners towards Accelerated Development in the Philippines (LIPAD PH) Program. 

Under the LIPAD program, Ravago explained, a city or a community is smart when it increases the pace at which it provides social, economic and environmental sustainability outcomes and responds to challenges like climate change, rapid population growth and political and economic instability by fundamentally improving hot it engages society. 

A Smart City also applies collaborative leadership methods, works across disciplines and city systems and uses data information and modern technologies to deliver better services and quality of life to those within it, without the unfair disadvantage of others or degradation of the natural environment. 

This ingenious initiative aims to unite diverse sectors in a collaborative effort to build smart and creative communities across the country and lead communities in becoming Smart Cities. 

The DAP CSF LIPAD PH Program is strategically designed to instigate transformation at the grassroots level, leveraging the authority and influence of Local Government Units (LGUs) to catalyze positive change in society. By empowering LGUs to take the lead in driving innovation and progress within their communities, LIPAD PH aims to foster a bottom-up approach that ensures sustainable development and inclusive growth across nations. 

According to Ravago, the City of Malolos LGU has to navigate the road map with key stakeholders in a concerted effort to implement its local development agenda embodied and anchored in Smart City Indicators and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embedded in the DAP-developed Smart City Hexagon Tool. 

Natividad, who accepted the road map and the challenge to become the “Smart Cultural Heritage City of the North” by 2034 and the first Smart city in 80 provinces, expressed the city’s unwavering commitment to advancing initiatives in building a smarter and more sustainable city. 

“Our dedication to this cause stems from our firm belief in harnessing technology and innovation to enhance the quality of life for all residents. As a city, we recognize the importance of embracing smart solutions to address urban challenges such as traffic congestion, environmental sustainability and efficient resource management. We are committed to levering the latest technologies and collaborating with stakeholders and investing resources to achieve our smart city objectives. We understand that the journey towards becoming a smart city requires diligence, collaboration and adaptability. Therefore, we pledge to work closely with all our stakeholders including government agencies, private sector partners, academic institutions and community and organizations to ensure the success of our initiatives. By prioritizing smart city development, we aim to create a vibrant, inclusive and resilient urban environment that enhances the well being and prosperity of all our citizens,” Natividad said. 

Initial big steps of Malolos

The city through different ordinances and supported by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines protect, preserve and promote all its historical, heritage and cultural sites–the Barasoain Church, the Casa Real, the Malolos Cathedral, the ancestral houses that served as government offices during the Malolos First Philippine Republic, the Women of Malolos House, including its own very unique “karatig”commuter jeepnetys. 

Also, Natividad said, Malolos has already initially launched innovations and transformation in different fields and aspects, from technology, agriculture, education environment and the most recent are the current projects on tap water quality management and the tidal flooding solutions project. 

According to the mayor, at least in Bulacan, Malolos initiated the usage of the QR Code in records and identification programs of the city government. 

In terms of rice yield and production, Malolos was previously 23^rd out of the 24 towns and cities in Bulacan because of the lowest yield per hectare. 

But because of interventions and smart solutions like dialogues with the experts who are the farmers themselves, in just two years, the city became number one in yield per hectare, Natividad said. 

In terms of education, the mayor boasted that from being the Top 1 LGU in the country with the highest dropout and incomplete rates in 2010, Malolos in 2023 was awarded by the Department of Education as the Top 5 Most Literate LGU in the country.

Malolos, the hub of Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School, has the biggest and most populated national high school in Luzon because of its 22,000 student population addressed the challenges in quality education because of surging students per classroom through construction of more public schools in the villages. 

Natividad said the three shifting classes of students with 1:98 ratio per classroom was addressed and is now reduced to the ideal 1:45 because of the numbers of newly constructed schools with a large number of classrooms.  

Today, the city has approved an ordinance requiring developers and real estate companies to construct their own respective water impounding areas before the city government issued them  a development permit as one way of protecting the rivers and waterways of the city. 

Malolos will also launch the “Smart Water” project wherein the city will mandate all water suppliers to produce potable tap waters particularly in all public schools, public places. “Ang dapat na iinumin mo ay potable, isang pindot mo lang ma-tetest na natin iyong water na iniinom mo kung safe o hindi. Smart approach for the quality of life for our constituents,” the mayor said. 

Malolos now has also an ongoing nature based tidal flooding mitigation project to finally put an end to the decades of high tide flooding in the city. 

The DOST-DAP-CSF Smart City project is parallel to the nation’s aspiration to achieve a “Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na buhay” by 2040, a resilient and prosperous nation through the LIPAD PH Program.

Sta. Rosa Lgauna was where the Smart City Assessment and Road Map Development Program was first implemented by DAP CSF in 2022. 

DOST Bulacan Science Research Specialist Michael Carlo Mariano said the Smart City transformation is a project of the DOST in collaboration with DAP for at least 80 provinces in the country and initially. Malolos, he said, is the first to respond and take the challenge. 

Brands are incorporating probiotics into a wide range of food products given their incredible benefits beyond just gut health, according to market intelligence company Mintel.

“Focus on probiotics for nutrient absorption and bone health…Consider probiotics for ensuring a healthy liver and heart,” Mintel said in a report published by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau.

This, as consumers seek to achieve good joint and bone health and improve their heart health.

The report cited that 29 percent of Polish functional food and drink buyers purchase functional/fortified food and drinks to strengthen bones.

It said 24 percent of consumers in China believe that probiotics help to manage blood lipids.  

Mintel said brands can also explore the potential for probiotics that alleviate stress and anxiety and improve sleep.

“Consumers link stress and anxiety with poor sleep and look for solutions via their diets,” it said.

The report said 40 percent of Vietnamese consumers would ideally like their diet to help them to sleep better; while 65 percent of German consumers agree following a healthy diet can improve mental wellbeing.

Mintel said digestive health is the most widely claimed health benefit in launches with probiotic ingredients.

In the last five years, 22 percent of global food and drink launches that contain probiotic ingredients feature a digestive health claim, it said.

The report said patents related to the use of probiotics in food and drink continue to grow.

“China and South Korea have the majority of probiotic-related patent grants,” it said. “Gut health is the most widely explored health benefit in probiotic-related patents.”

Non-alcoholic drinks, ranging from designer waters and energy drinks, will evolve to meet the key consumer drivers, reflecting rising values and priorities including health and sustainability, according to trend forecaster WGSN.

In a sample report on non-alcoholic drink forecast 2026, WGSN said premium water offerings rival other non-alcoholic alternatives by meeting the need for health and simplicity.

“Appeal to consumers by providing natural spring waters with nuanced flavors and textures to reflect their terroir, alongside key sustainability and health pledges,” it said.

Designer waters, including those with alkaline and hydrogen, will rise as alternatives to everyday drinks and as alcohol alternatives for special occasions, it added.

As priorities also include experience, texture, equity and pleasure, WGSN cited as an example US restaurant Grey Sweater which has a menu with waters from across the world, which has a silky texture and subtle sweetness.

To tap these opportunities, brands are advised to offer enhanced hydration with added vitamins and minerals or elements like hydrogen and oxygen, and capitalize on the rising trend for water sommeliers by considering how water can be paired with different foods.

The report said low mineral waters are often paired with subtle flavors, higher mineral ones are teamed with saltier dishes and effervescent options are matched with desserts, for example.

“Prioritize sustainability with a focus on sourcing, carbon footprint and premium glass, aluminum or refillable packaging,” it said.

They can also consider functionality, as it cited Dubai’s Aqua Water Bar offering over 30 ‘gourmet’ water recipes, including Sweet Dreams with gentle mineralization and low sodium to help one sleep or focus, with equal amounts of magnesium, sodium and sulfate for balance.

The report further said energy drinks laden with sugar and caffeine will make way for cleaner options containing natural ingredients that offer balance for wider lifestyle occasions.

“Low to no-sugar, naturally-positioned options that don’t sacrifice performance will rise, alongside low Glycemic Index (GI) ingredient innovations that provide sustained energy without blood sugar spikes. Innovate with flavor to expand appeal beyond stereotypical energy drinkers and focus on clean, all-natural ingredients with a health halo,” it said.

WGSN said brands can deliver caffeine through natural ingredients including guarana, guayusa, kola nuts, yaupon, green tea and coffee; and boost energy with caffeine alternatives such as L-theanine, yerba mate, Ginkgo biloba and ginseng.

“Focus on reducing sugar with low GI carbohydrates such as isomaltulose that prevent blood glucose spikes,” it said. “Develop hybrid coffee or tea-based energy drinks for consumers seeking a caffeine boost with the taste and experience of an RTD (ready-to-drink).”