A Great Morning Breakfast with McDonald's all-new Cheesy Eggdesal

What's good about mornings? Coffee and a full hearty breakfast.

 For Filipinos, nothing beats waking up to a good breakfast that is not only delicious and filling, but one that also brings a sense of comfort and familiarity. 

Starting July 24, Pinoys are in for a breakfast solution that will bring customers the familiar feeling of home, allowing them to enjoy relaxed and worry-free mornings. The all-new Cheesy Eggdesal is the perfect combination of fluffy folded egg and melted cheese in between warm pandesal buns. This new McDonald’s offering is sure to make mornings extra awesome, while giving the energy that one needs to face the day’s challenges.

For only P39, the Cheesy Eggdesal is an affordable and convenient breakfast option for working individuals who are always rushing to go to work and complete their tasks. Not only does it give them a delicious home-style breakfast, it does so without having to empty their pockets. 

Along with the Cheesy Eggdesal, customers can also enjoy their mornings with their Hamdesal favorites – Hamdesal Plain, Hamdesal with Cheese, and Hamdesal with Egg, now made with softer and tastier buns.

Whether you’re an early riser or a ‘savor-every-minute-of-sleep’ kind of person, McDonald’s gives you reasons to look forward to every waking moment with its affordable, filling, and delicious breakfast options.

Enjoy the all-new Cheesy Eggdesal and any of your favorite Breakfast Everyday McSavers from 4:00 AM to 10:30 AM in McDonald’s stores nationwide through Dine-In, Take-out, Drive-Thru, and via McDelivery.

Digging the all-new Cheesy Eggdesal? Share your breakfast experience on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/McDo.ph, or tag @McDo_PH on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #McDoBreakfast and #CheesyEggdesal.

Philippines now ranks #36 in International Math Olympiad

Two silvers, two bronzes, an honourable mention, and a piece of national history.

This, as the Philippine delegation capped the 56th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the hardest and most prestigious math competition in the world, with its best performance since it started competing in 1988.

Adrian Reginald Sy of St. Jude Catholic School and Clyde Wesley Ang of Chiang Kai Shek College scored 21 and 19 points, respectively, to nab two silver medals to lead the winningest team that the country has fielded in the competition. The 56th IMO was held from 4-16 July 2015 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Sy, who netted the country’s third silver medal in the competition last year, is now a two-time IMO silver medalist. Ang, meanwhile, a first-timer in the prestigious competition but a veteran in other international math competitions, won the Philippines’ fifth silver medal in its 27-year participation.

Farrell Eldrian Wu of MGC New Life Christian Academy fell just two points shy of the silver medal cutoff of 19 points to win his second bronze medal in a row. Albert John Patupat of Holy Rosary College likewise scored 15 points to secure a bronze medal. Meanwhile, Kyle Patrick Dulay of Philippine Science High School – Main Campus scored 12 to earn an Honourable Mention.

Team Leader Dr. Jose Ernie Lope and Deputy Team Leader Louie John Vallejo, both of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP), guided the national contingent that also fielded Raymond Joseph Fadri of Makati Science High School. The team was selected from the 20 National Finalists of the Philippine Mathematical Olympiad that underwent training in April and May through the Math Olympiad Summer Camp organized by the MSP.

With the victory, the Philippine Team got a total score of 87 and ranked 36 among 104 participating countries. Lope reported that the performance brought the country closer to Southeast Asian powerhouses like Hong Kong (rank 28) and Indonesia (rank 29), and higher than top-mainstays such as Belarus (rank 39) and the Netherlands (rank 43).

The IMO is composed of six problems that the participants solve in two days. Questions come from four subject areas namely geometry, algebra, number theory and combinatorics. Each problem is worth seven points.

“The six problems appearing at the IMO are certainly very difficult that even the easiest of these is several times harder than the math problems that are usually encountered by high school students,” described Lope, who served as the Team Leader of the national team in the past three years.

Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Director Dr. Josette Biyo said the historic accomplishment did not come as a shock and was simply “a fair testament to what young Filipino math wizards are capable of achieving internationally.”

“I am not surprised that we won given the credentials of the members of our Philippine team. They’re all proven winners and we’re very happy that they brought home a historic feat for the nation,” said Biyo.

Biyo also commended the MSP for the marked improvements seen in recent years and expressed optimism that winning the first gold medal is “not farfetched.”

“We are getting there and hence the government will continue its support to these types of programs to ensure that we not only produce winners in the competitions but also in the real world where we need more scientists and engineers,” said Biyo.

The Philippine participation to the IMO was made possible with the partnership of the DOST-SEI and MSP together with the Foundation for the Upgrading of Secondary Education, Metrobank Foundation, Inc., University of the Philippines Diliman - Institute of Mathematics, Ateneo de Manila University - Department of Mathematics, Social Security System, Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines, United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corporation, and Holy Rosary College.

National Science and Technology Week 2015

The Department of Science and Technology has organized and held Science and Technology week celebrations since the 1950s. The event was instituted in 1982 through Presidential Proclamation 2214, which was amended through Republic Act 169 in 1993 to set the National Science and Technology Week every third week of July.

The NSTW aims to bring science and technology closer to the people by letting them experience the vital role of science, technology, and innovation in improving the people’s quality of life, protecting the environment, and contributing to national development, particularly in poverty alleviation.

Moreover, the NSTW highlights the capability of local S&T experts and inspire the youth and other sectors in believing that Filipinos can do it and that local technology works.

Its events and exhibits are the perfect venues for technology developers and investors, as well as S&T service providers and clients, to interact and pursue potential opportunities.

Every NSTW celebration is designed to optimize said opportunities and make S&T a way of life for Filipinos.

The National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) 2015 will be held on July 24 - 28, 2015 at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex. Admission is FREE. for more information on event details and program log on to http://nstw.dost.gov.ph.

60 studes, teachers trained in climate science boot camp

Picking up where they left off last year in terms of developing future climate scientists, the Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) again amazed 41 students and 19 teachers in what was described by the participants as a “truly awakening” 2015 Climate Science Youth Camp.

Scientists from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) were joined by meteorologists from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and researchers from De La Salle Araneta University (DLSAU) in leading this year’s Camp which was held on 13-21 April in Masinloc, Zambales.

Following the theme “The Ocean in a Warming World”, the Camp sought to encourage students to pursue S&T degrees and careers and instill deep appreciation of S&T as a way to address environmental and societal issues. It featured lectures, and hands-on activities about atmosphere, weather, and ocean, and a two-day exposure trip to tackle souring oceans and marine biodiversity led by UP MSI and PAGASA. The participants were also trained in Participatory Action Research (PAR) courtesy of DLSAU as a social science component of the Camp.

SEI Director Dr. Josette Biyo said this year’s theme was in support of the global action for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“We very well know that it is important to expose the youth on the science of climate change for you to have better understanding of your role now and what you can do further as you move forward and choose your paths,” she added.

The lectures given by Camp Director Dr. Aletta Yñiguez of UP MSI and Joseph Basconcillo of PAGASA centered on the following subjects about the earth’s atmosphere: temperature, pressure, rainfall, green house gases, weather, hazards, extreme weather conditions, and automatic weather station (AWS) observation. They also tackled oceanic temperature, circulation, chemistry, marine biology, and focused on issues such as ocean warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification and the impacts of coral bleaching.

Campers were taught how to collect seawater sample for plankton and water quality analysis, concepts on souring of oceans, and basics of snorkeling and had exposure trips to the sea grass community, mangrove forest, and coastal reef.

The Campers were also able to visit the community of San Salvador Island where Campers conducted interviews with fisher folks, boatmen, religious groups, local leaders and other residents for their PAR exercise facilitated by Glenn Banaguas of DLSAU and one of the Outstanding Young Scientists of the National Academy of Science and Technology.

Biyo said that the venue served well for the Camp activities and lauded the local government of Masinloc for its coastal resources management efforts.

Masinloc Mayor Hon. Desiree S. Edora meanwhile thanked DOST-SEI for selecting their municipality as the venue for such a “high-impact” project for the youth.

“Our place also faces challenges in water management, drought and floods, and for our youth to be involved in this activity, we are fortunate and blessed,” said Edora.

Finally, Biyo asked the Campers to bring their learning with them as they pick their courses in college and asked teachers to share their experiences with their fellow educators.

“Let’s put to use this experience by considering going to S&T when you choose your paths in college and career. Your training and gifts will be of help to the country,” Biyo disclosed.

A royal performance from the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV in England

The inaugural FIA Formula E Championship concluded in style, with e.dams-Renault clinching the Teams’ title after Race 1 on Saturday, June 27, thanks to the lights-to-flag victory of pole-winner Sébastien Buemi. The Swiss driver’s points haul of 28 points closed the gap to leader Nelson Piquet Jr to just five units ahead of Sunday’s action. That boosted his confidence, which was lifted further when Buemi got a dry qualifying slot (Q2) for Race 2, while title rival Piquet was slowed by a heavy shower during Q3.

For the first time this season, the drivers faced wet conditions but the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV rose to the occasion to provide the necessary grip. “We’ve been waiting for this sort of weather since the beginning on the championship,” says Serge Grisin, manager of Michelin’s Formula E programme. “We designed the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV to be a very versatile tyre and we finally got the opportunity to see how it performed in a wet qualifying session on Sunday. Technically, that was very important because we wanted to collect data and get feedback from all the drivers. Now we know we met our objective because we received positive praise from everyone.”

The wet session shook up the start order for Race 2, with Stéphane Sarrazin (Venturi) claiming pole position and title challengers Buemi and Piquet starting from sixth and 16th places on the grid respectively. Forty minutes later, after one of the season’s most exciting contests, the Swiss driver and the Brazilian collected fifth and seventh places overall. That was enough for Piquet (144 points) to seal the Drivers’ crown by a single point. The race itself was won by Sam Bird (Virgin Racing), ahead of Jérôme D’Ambrosio who claimed his second strong result of the weekend.

“Congratulations to e.dams-Renault and Nelson Piquet Jr on their historic titles, with Michelin,” said Michelin Motorsport Director Pascal Couasnon. “It’s been a very positive first season of Formula E, both for the championship and for Michelin. The spectacle that the organisers, teams and drivers and our tyres delivered to the public was of a very high standard. We are very much looking forward to next season when the cars will benefit from significant technological evolutions, especially with regard to their drivetrain. It is through innovation that Formula E will assert itself as a laboratory working for tomorrow’s mobility.”

Nelson Piquet Jr on the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV tyre:

“These Michelin tyres have been amazing all season. The first time I saw them at Donington last summer, I thought they were rain tyres and that they would move around too much because of their tread pattern. When I tested them, I realised that Michelin had come up with something different to what I had ever experienced before. They delivered a very high level of performance and efficiency for these fast, innovative cars despite the weight of the batteries.

“Over the season, we came across all sorts of slippery, inconsistent types of surface but we could always count on our tyres. What surprised me most was that even under heavy braking, even when I locked my wheels, I never felt any vibrations through the steering. Here at Battersea Park, they performed flawlessly despite the huge constraints they had to cope with. The contact patch is very small, so racing drivers need to know they can depend on their tyres. I was certainly able to count on these Formula E Michelins!”