The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) celebrated the 128th birth anniversary of the activist and martyr Josefa Llanes Escoda by unveiling a historical marker in her name last Sept. 20.
Situated at the National Headquarters of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) in Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila, the Josefa Llanes Escoda historical marker was presented and turned over by NHCP Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Projects Alvin R. Alcid to Dr. Cristina Lim-Yuson, the national president of the GSP.
As a leading figure during the early years of the American colonial period, Escoda was known for her work in the women’s suffrage movement and was one of the founders of the GSP, as well as the president of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs from 1941 until 1944. While continuing her work in supporting Filipinos during the time of the Japanese Occupation, she was later arrested and executed along with other prisoners before Manila was liberated.
Posthumously, she received the Philippine Legion of Honor for her efforts in 1954 and became one of the figures featured on the P1,000 peso bill in 1991.
