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Dr. Debbie Marie B. Verzosa, Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), served as one of the resource speakers for the training titled “Regional Training on Enhancing Teachers’ Expertise in Mathematics Manipulatives,” held online on October 3–4 and in-person on October 10–11, 2026, at Habi Hotel, Koronadal City.
The training is part of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Region XII Project MathLab, which aims to enhance the pedagogical skills of mathematics educators through the effective integration of concrete manipulatives.
A pre-work online session was held on October 3–4, gathering project management teams, training speakers, and resource persons, including Dr. Verzosa.
Kicking off the activity, Dr. Verzosa facilitated a lecture session titled “From Concrete to Conceptual: Making Mathematical Ideas Visible through Manipulatives and Representations,” where she emphasized how the choice of manipulatives must align with children’s developmental levels, guiding them toward higher levels of abstraction.
This was followed by a workshop session titled “Concrete Place Value & Number Representation,” which demonstrated learning strategies using popsicle sticks, grouping containers, base-ten blocks, and place value whiteboards.
Her participation continued on October 10–11, when she delivered the same lecture and facilitated the workshop for 53 selected teachers from across Region XII.
The DepEd-led initiative concluded on October 13, with participants joining a series of training sessions on Mathematics Investigation and Modelling (MIM).
Dr. Verzosa’s participation as a resource speaker was made possible in response to DepEd Region XII’s request for USM’s expertise in maximizing the utilization of manipulatives while appropriately applying them to specific mathematical concepts. This engagement highlighted the university’s commitment to extending its academic and research expertise to basic education institutions, providing valuable extension services and professional development support for the educational sector.
