LEAD Story 356

The Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) supports the International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC), the Education Commission of the Unions of men and women General Superiors (USG & UISG), and the Congregation for Catholic Education, in responding to Pope Francis’ call to build together the Global Compact on Education.

We join in their commitment “to deal with the need and urgency of a global pact to improve education; to reach out to everyone and make more humane an outdated and dehumanized society; generate hope and fraternity; improved relationship and care for the environment, so deteriorated and on the verge of collapse.”

Find out more: http://oiecinternational.com/

THAILAND - It is a great honor for us, La Salle Miguel House, to welcome the Sector Head of La Salle Thailand, Br. Joseph Klong Chai Phuek FSC. He has been behind the work of Miguel House for the past 3 years; he truly brought blessings to our home.

We would like to thank Br. Joseph Klong for visiting us this time with love and kindness. The speech that he gave to us was very motivating, urging us to live our daily lives not to be like the dead but swimming upstream to improve our life.

LA SALLE MIGUEL HOUSE STORY

In the distant parts of Chanthaburi, especially near the Thailand-Cambodia border, there are plenty of very poor families. The parents of these households can hardly provide even their basic needs, not to mention providing the children quality education.

Knowing this situation, the feeling of Christian love towards fellow human beings moved the De La Salle Brothers to launch the ‘Saint Miguel House’ hostel and scholarship project in 1992. Since then, it has aimed to provide free education, as well as board and lodging, to the impoverished children so that they can go to school and improve their chances of having a better future and eventually become good and productive citizens.

Br. Benedict Chaiwat Phanomworachai FSC is the person currently responsible for this project with the support of other Brothers in the Chanthaburi Community. The De La Salle Brothers have been giving assistance to these poor students for so many years and many of them received completely free education with free lodging accommodations. There are two full-time teachers and two Brothers who take care of the stay-in students and act as their guidance counselors and house parents.

The Brothers are providing educational and livelihood programs for Catholic and non-Catholic students. The assistance is not merely in terms of providing them with free education and providing their basic needs. The Brothers also take care of their well-being and mold them to be responsible and disciplined. They teach them how to be productive in life, make them learn the importance of education, and let them realize that the things they are doing at present can affect their future. Moreover, they regularly take them to attend the Sunday Masses and other parish ceremonies.

The number of stay-in students and scholars is increasing in number. The Saint Miguel House not only caters to the needs of the children belonging to low-income families (to which the majority of the stay-in students belong), it also helps those from broken homes, single parents, and from families of farmers and gardeners who do not own their own land or house.

The Brothers have always upheld the value of good, inclusive, basic education and holistic growth with emphasis on Christian moral values. These efforts are all made to help the less fortunate Catholic and Non-Catholic children secure a better future --- all in the service of the youth entrusted to their care. (Text & Photos: Br. Benedict Chaiwat Phanomworachai FSC)

PHILIPPINES - Who are the prime movers of our Lasallian educational mission today? How do we ensure its continuity and sustainability? How do we make sure that it is alive and dynamic? Where does it get its vitality? Will the educational mission be relevant to the world today? What makes schools Lasallian? What are the key components that make up the Lasallian educational mission? These were the essential questions raised for the Lasallian Visions 2021 – Part 2.

Toast for Mission Partners: A Talk Show was held on February 26 to celebrate the Lasallians’ Communion in Mission. Three ( 3 ) distinguished guests representing the people involved in the Lasallian educational mission – the Brothers, the lay partners, and the students – namely: Br. Dennis Magbanua FSC, Mrs. Dfezie Tipan and Nimrod Diaz graced the online gathering.

Dr. Nelda Mina, a parent of two De La Salle – Zobel and D e L a S a l l e U n i v e r s i t y alumni, officially kicked off the program with an opening prayer. Ms. Cheri Miranda, St. Joseph School – La Salle Director of Coordinating Council of Student Activities, shared with the participants her takeaways from the LS Visions 2021 – Part 1 when Our Living Lasallian Heritage was unveiled.

ISSUE No. 356 • of 511“Community: The Core of the Lasallian Educational Mission” served as the point of discussion of the talk show. A video - We Are La Salle Today, prepared by the Young Brothers Creative Team of the Lasallian Visions 2021 featured the participants who are playing different roles in the Lasallian educational mission.

How can Lasallians today live-out the invitation of the Declaration? – was the point of sharing during the breakout. To lighten up the mood and to energize the participants, ice breakers, games and fast talk were also facilitated.

Mr. Larry Estalane, La Salle Academy – Principal, led the Closing Prayer. The Lasallian Visions 2021 – Part 2 was hosted by Br. Abet Pia FSC, Ms. Mariz del Rio and JC Chris Niño G. Sabellano.

The Lasallian Visions 2021 Facebook Group is now composed of 1,500+ members coming from across the country. The LS Visions 2021 Online Gathering is held every last Friday of the month until April where the two institute documents – Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission and Identity Criteria for the Vitality of the Lasallian Educational Ministries – are being popularized to ignite and enrich discussion on how and why we are doing the Lasallian educational Mission today. (Text & Photos: Br. John David Ong FSC)

JAPAN - Last March 4, La Salle Kagoshima hosted the webinar, “The Global Trends & Strategies to Ensure the Lasallian Character”. The two invited presenters were Br. Ricky Laguda FSC, General Councillor for the Asia Pacific Region, and Mr. Timothy Goh, Principal of St. Stephen’s School in Singapore.

Br. Ricky Laguda shared the current thoughts/ideas of the Lasallian Educational Mission in the 21st Century through a brief orientation of the most recent document called the “Declaration.”

Mr. Timothy Goh, who was until recently the principal of St. Joseph’s Institution Junior in Singapore, shared some of the best practices implemented in his school as response to the new normal.

There were more than 80 participants from the administrators, teaching and non-teaching staff of the school. (Text & Photos: Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC)

On Friday 12 March 2021, more than 600 educators from our six schools and HopeHouse staff participated in an online session given by Br. Ricky Laguda on the Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission as well as the Identity Criteria document. The students were on home-based learning and this allowed their teachers and staff to be available for Lasallian formation sessions. Ms. Ed-Linddi helped with the technical arrangements. Br. Antonio Cubillas welcomed the participants. Br. Ricky gave inputs on the documents and this was followed by breakout rooms with reflection questions that made the participants be aware and share their reflections. The sessions lasted three hours with a short twenty minute break. At the end, each school reported on their strengths and weaknesses and what they hope to do in the future to realize the Lasallian mission in their own schools or centre in Singapore. (Text & Photo: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

MALAYSIA - Whilst COVID has had tragic direct impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, there is some positivity to share from Penang.

Shastri A/P Mani Kumar, a current Form 6 student of St Xavier’s Institution, Penang, lost her father in January 2021. Her mother and eldest sister lost their employment shortly after. In typical Xaverian fashion, the proverbial Lasallian hat was passed around and our Xaverians of year 1979/81 & Lasallians of year 1975/77, collected a total of RM11,770.00 within one week. This amount will be disbursed to the family over a span of 15 months in smaller tranches. The Alumni is also assisting to find job placements for both mother and daughter for family financial sustainability and independence. The family was very grateful for the financial aid and assistance rendered by our ever-helpful alumni.

As soon as home visits were allowed by the prevailing COVID regulations, some representatives from the class of 1979 / 1981 visited the home of the family to distribute some vouchers and to say hello and lift their spirits. (Text & Photos: Br. Jason Blaikie FSC)

USA - The Bishop John S. Cummins Institute for Catholic Thought, Culture and Action of Saint Mary’s College of California (SMC) together with the SMC Asian Pacific A m e r i c a n S t u d e n t Association organized a campus event on 17 March 2021 to commemorate the 500 years of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, which is being celebrated this year. During this activity, Br. Iñigo Riola FSC, a doctoral student at SMC, gave a talk about the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines and the 500th anniversary of the Filipino Victory at the Battle of Mactan, which is the Philippine part in the story of the first circum-navigation of the world. After the talk, Br. Charles Hilken FSC, Director of the SMC Cummins Institute, gave the 500 years of Christianity commemorative mission crosses to all participants as a memento. Students, faculty, Brothers, and college administrators attended this event.

For more details about the 500th anniversary, visit this website: https://500yoc.com/history/

PHILIPPINES - Congratulations to Alessandra Isabelle S. Gazo, Gr. 11-H, for winning at the 2021 Harvard GlobalWE Essay Contest, with her entry, “Teenage Pregnancy; The Downfall of the Youth.

”From among a worldwide roster of participants, essays were submitted on the theme, “What is the biggest challenge facing women and girls in your country today?” For her win, she received a certificate, a copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book “We Should All Be Feminists,” and an invitation to serve as a judge for similar contests in other countries. (La Salle Green Hills Facebook Page)

Click on the images below to view the recaps of Day 3 (2021 February 6) and Day 4 (2021 February 20) on YouTube.

Special thanks to Ms. Jeanne Carmel Puertollano for working on these videos.

Find out more: https://www.lasalle-lead.org/livelead