The Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) is a community of 150 Brothers of the Christian Schools and 13,000+ Lasallian partners and associates, who together sponsor and operate more than 70 educational institutions in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
LEAD belongs to a worldwide network of Catholic universities, schools and ministries established and supervised by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, whose mission is to provide quality human and Christian education to the young especially the poor. Aside from teaching more than 150,000 students in this part of Asia, LEAD also has institutions of non - formal learning that reaches out to the last, the lost and the least.
A Brief Overview of the Lasallian East Asia District
The Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) was established in 2011. The District is a community of 140 Brothers of the Christian Schools and 14,000+ Lasallian partners and associates, who together sponsor and operate more than 70 educational institutions in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Although LEAD is technically a young District, it is rich in tradition and history, reaching as far back 1852. Each country in the District looks back with gratitude to the missionary Brothers who first came to their shores1:
Malaysia and 
Singapore
Myanmar
Hong Kong
Philippines
Japan
ThailandThe impetus to come together by these Sectors can be traced to Proposition 27 of the 43rd General Chapter which mandated Brother Superior and his Council to “supervise the process of reorganizing districts… to strengthen the vitality of the sectors that are in need.” After several years of meetings, assemblies, and consultations, the Constitutive Assembly of the new District was held in Manila in 2010 wherein the Statutes of the District were written. The inauguration of the District was held in Singapore, on May 15, 2011. The first Visitor of LEAD was Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC and first Auxiliary Visitor was Br. Thomas Lavin FSC.
Today, the ministries of LEAD are varied and give a dynamic definition to giving a “human and Christian Education to the young, especially the poor”. There are schools, ranging from primary to tertiary education, with a tradition for excellence but are accessible to all. There are boarding houses and formation centers. There are facilities that minister to youth who are in conflict with the law. In all these ministries, the Brothers closely associate themselves with their very active Lasallian Partners.
Each ministry of LEAD makes an effort to be accessible to the poor by means of scholarships, financial aid, and other grants. Realted to this, in an effort to become “Brothers without Borders”, the District has identified three “flagship” ministries that cater primarily to those in the margins. These are:
- The Bamboo School (Thailand), a school by the border of Thailand and Myanmar for stateless children living on the border between two countries,
- Jaime Hilario Integrated School-La Salle (Philippines), a school by the sea for children of fisher folk and farmers, and
- The Mangyan School (Philippines), a remote school by the mountains (that can only be reached by a six-hour hike) that specializes in education that respects and enriches the indigenous culture of its students. These ministries are helped by various volunteer groups from around the world and readily welcomes financial aid.
One-Third of the District is composed of senior Brothers (60 years old and above). LEAD has made a commitment to the care of sick and aging Brothers through the Residencia De La Salle, a residential health care facility staffed and managed by a Lasallian medical school and hospital: De La Salle Health Sciences Institute and De La Salle University Medical Center.
On the other side of the coin, one-third of the District of composed of young Brothers who offer their energy and dynamism to the various ministries of the District. In more recent years, LEAD has been welcoming Brothers from other Regions and Sectors for undergraduate or postgraduate studies. Today, there are three such student-Brothers from RELAF and three student-Brothers from the District of Vietnam studying in the different Lasallian universities in the Philippines.
Despite the challenge of geography and bringing together varied traditions and cultures, the Brothers of LEAD look back at the past with gratitude and look to the future with hope. Inspired by the 45th General Chapter, the Brothers of LEAD pray: “This work of God is also ours.”
1 Bulletin of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools 240: The Institute in Asia and Oceania
2 Paul Tam, Hong Kong Lasallian Family Archives
3 Br. David Hawke: From Seven to One (2013), twentyeleven Magazine, Vol 1. Issue 1
The LEAD Team 2019-2023
1st Row (seated from left to right): The District Council members - Br. Dennis Magbanua FSC, Br. Andrew Loke FSC, Br. Nicholas Seet FSC, Br. Joseph Klong FSC, Br. Lucas Thein FSC, Br. Michael Broughton FSC
2nd Row (standing from left to right): Mr. Jyron Raz, Br. Francisco Chadang FSC, Br. Mikey Cua FSC, Mr. Jay Gervasio, Br. Patrick Tierney FSC, Br. Ricky Laguda FSC, Br. Armin Luistro FSC, Br. Gus Boquer FSC, Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC, Br. Felipe Belleza FSC, Br. Sockie de la Rosa FSC, Atty. Carlu Fernandez, Mr. Ferdie Fernandez
LEAD Mission Council
The LEAD Mission Council (LMC) acts as an advisory body to the District Council and the Brother Visitor.During the 3rdLEAD Chapter (April 2019) and the 31stDistrict Council meeting (July 2019), several LEAD goals and key priority plans (KPPs) were assigned to the newly appointed Chairman of the District Mission Council, now referred to as the LMC.Under the LEAD goal"to revitalize the Lasallian Mission in LEAD by renewing existing institutions and opening new educational ministries for the poor always keeping in mind the growth of the entire District and the contributions of the Lasallian Partners and Brothers in each", the LMC was assigned severalkey priority programs, among them was to "ensure functional Lasallian mission councils in each sector."One of the proposed role of the LMC is to be "responsible for coordinating and collaborating with the SectorMissionCouncils (or its equivalent body) in the District."
Taking guide and inspiration from the DC resolutions, the LMC has adapted severalbroad goals: (1) to revitalize and renew existing Lasallian education ministries in the District and (2) to study prevailing realities and discover emerging needs, especially those for the young and most in need.LMC also seeks to formulate and implementplans and programs that will benefit educational ministries and institutions in the LEAD and enable them to work together as one District.
During the succeeding District Council meetings (DC32 in Jan 2020), the LMC was formally created and the following were appointed as members by the Brother Visitor:Mr. Paul Tam (HK), Br. Fermin Martinez (JP), Ms. Coreen Paul (MA), Ms. Christine Soe Hlaing (MM), Mr. Edgar Chua (PH), Mr. Jay Gervasio (PH, LMC Chair), Br. Lawrence Humphrey (SG) and Mr. John Chakrin Poopirom (TH).
And during its first inaugural meeting (June 2020), the LMC proposed several projects, aimed primarily at Lasallian learners and educators that will bring together schools and the Lasallian family in the District.
In the most recent DC36(August2020), additional tasks were assigned to the LMC, to help popularize the Institute Documents on LMMFP, the Integrity Criteria and the Declaration.
In the performance of their role to revitalize and renew our District, and on behalf of the Brother Visitor, we make this appeal for assistance and support from sector leaders and key stakeholders of our Lasallian Family to be actively involved and participate fully in the projects of the LMC and LEAD.
The LEAD Mission Council Members
Mr. Jay Gervasio
Chair
Ms. Coreen Paul
Malaysia
Br. Fermin Martinez FSC
Japan
Ms. Christine Soe Hlaing
Myanmar
Br. Larry Humphrey FSC
Singapore
Mr. Paul Tam
Hong Kong
Mr. Ed Chua
Philippines
Mr. John Charkin Poopirom
Thailand
