Josefa was born in Dingras, Ilocos Norte as Josefa Llanes Madamba. She was the eldest of the seven children of Mercedes Madamba and Gabriel Llanes. Josefa's siblings were, Florencio, Luisa, Elvira, Rosario, Purita and Eufrocina. Josefa grew up with an instilled idea of the true Christian service. Her mother was said to be a sweet, loving woman who taught her children the importance of serving the people. This amiable character honed by her mother manifested in many parts of Pepa's life. During her elementary days, Pepa was known to be a sunny, naturally active and precocious student. She also had unyielding importance for education. Josefa was valedictorian in grade school and salutatorian in high school in Dingras Elementary School. She went to Philippine Normal School in Manila to earn her teaching degree, and graduated with honors in 1919. While working as a teacher, she earned a high school teacher's certificate from the University of the Philippines in 1922. After obtaining her teacher's certificate, she became a social worker for the Philippine Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross granted her a scholarship to the United States, where she earned a masteral degree in Sociology from Columbia University in 1925. While in the United States, Josefa joined a group of foreign students who wholeheartedly supported an International House project in New York. During her free time in the International House, she accepted speaking engagements. It was also her practice to wear a Filipiniana dress during her lecture tours to arouse foreigner's interest in Philippines. During her first trip to the United States, while she was at the Women's International League for Peace, she met Antonio Escoda, whom she later married. They had two children: Maria Theresa ; and Antonio L. Escoda, Jr.
Girl Scouts of the Philippines
She returned to the Philippines again in the 1940s after undergoing intensified training in Girl Scouting in USA sponsored by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. Afterwards, she began to train young women to become girl scout leaders, then proceeded to organize the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. On 26 May 1940, President Manuel L. Quezon signed the charter of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. Josefa became the group's first National Executive.
During World War II, Japanese forces invaded the Philippines. By 1944, news of the underground activities of Josefa Llanes Escoda and her husband Antonio reached far and wide. As the Japanese Army pushed deeper in the country, The couple had intensified their activities of supplying medicines, foods, clothes and messages to both Filipino war prisoners and American internees in concentration camps. Lt. Jose L. Llanes, Commander of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, said he saw Josefa Llanes Escoda on 14 January 1944 in the presence of her husband, Antonio Escoda. Josefa Llanes Escoda left this final message to Lt. Jose L. Llanes: Antonio was first arrested in June 1944, and Josefa Llanes Escoda was also arrested two months later on 27 August. She was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, the same prison as her husband, who was executed in 1944 along with General Vicente Lim, who was imprisoned with him. On 6 January 1945, Josefa Llanes Escoda was then evidently taken and held in one of the buildings of Far Eastern University occupied by the Japanese. She was last seen alive on 6 January 1945, but severely beaten and weak, and was transferred into a Japanese transport truck. It is presumed that she was executed and buried in an unmarked grave, either in the La Loma Cemetery or Manila Chinese Cemetery, which Japanese forces used as execution and burial grounds for thousands of Filipinos who resisted the Japanese occupation.
Legacy
A street and a building have been named after her and a monument has been dedicated to her memory. She is also named after a road in Ilocos Norte and was depicted on the current 1000-peso bill as one of three Filipinos martyred by the Japanese Armed Forces. The Girl Scouts of the Philippines pay homage to Josefa Llanes Escoda every September 20 by celebrating her birth anniversary with activities that create further awareness of her martyrdom and contribution to youth development. On September 20, 2018, a Google Doodle was created to commemorate her 120th birthday.
