Welcome to our 19th #womanoftheweek! Today, we will be discussing Josefa Madamba Llanes Escoda, a Filipina Civic Leader! Enjoy!
Josefa Madamba Llanes Escoda (1898-1945), referred to as the “Florence Nightingale of the Philippines” dedicated her life to being a social worker, a suffragist, and most importantly a leader. As a Filipina living in World War II Philippines, Escoda exemplified ambition and resilience in a time of struggle. From her early life full of responsibility to her career centered around social work and WWII, Escoda is an underrated heroine and lives on through her contributions and her smile on Filipino peso notes.
Escoda was born in Dingras, Ilocos Norte, as the eldest of seven children. She was nicknamed Pepa as a child and was raised with Christian ideals. Escoda was a high achiever throughout her childhood, as her elementary school’s valedictorian and her high school’s salutatorian. Holding on to much responsibility from the very beginning, Escoda juggled taking care of her siblings after her father’s passing and studying at the University of the Philippines for a teaching degree; this degree led to her working for the American Red Cross’ Philippine Chapter. She also earned a master’s in sociology at Columbia University in America and focused on social welfare at the New York School of Work.
Besides time spent to further her education in America, Escoda channeled her heritage and passion for feminism as executive secretary and later president of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs(NFWC), which coordinated activities around suffrage and activism. Escoda was also a speaker at the International House of New York, and was known for wearing a traditional filipiniana dress during lectures to represent her home country. As for her return, she organized the first Girl Scouts of the Philippines after training Girl Scouts in the USA; Escoda was the first executive.
As WWII came in full swing and Japanese occupation reached the Philippines, Escoda engaged in underground work, specifically humanitarian work. She and her husband Antonio Escoda worked with the Volunteer Social Aid Committee to aid war prisoners. The Escodas witnessed the Bataan Death March, and distributed vitamins, food, and clothing to prisoners. Distribution continued at concentration camps and was received by both Americans and Filipinos, especially at Camp O'Donnell. She housed women and students from different provinces in Manilla who were unable to return home. However, her humanitarian efforts posed a risk to Japanese occupation, in which Josefa Escoda was imprisoned in Fort Santiago out of suspicion and executed in January 1945, months before the war ended in Europe.
Josefa Madamba Llanes Escoda’s legacy is maintained posthumously. The Escodas were awarded the Medal of Freedom with Gold Leaf by the US Army/Navy for aiding prisoners in WWII. Philippine Normal University named her Distinguished Alumna for her social work and the American Red Cross posthumously awarded her a silver medal. Josefa Escoda, the founder of Girl Scouts of the Philippines is commemorated every year on her birthday September 20th to keep her memory alive. Lastly but not least, Escoda appears on the 1000 Fillipino Peso as a Fillipina martyred by Japanese forces. Though Escoda’s life was halted abruptly, her work in suffrage and aid were great enough to last beyond her own generation.
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