Josefa Llanes Escoda

𝐁𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐒 𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐌

Weak, uneducated, and housewife - these words describe a woman during the years of Spanish colonialism in our country. However, these words never stopped women like Melchora Aquino, Gabriela Silang, and Josefa Llanes Escoda from paving the way for us to have our space in different sectors. After all, our role never stops with being a mother like what society expects us to be. We can also be teachers, heroes, writers, doctors, or whatever we want.

Josefa Llanes Escoda is a woman of compassion, braveness, and wisdom. She dedicated her life to creating a world where #HERstory is heard and listened to. She was a social worker, civic worker, feminist, suffragist, and war heroine. Her legacy includes establishing nursery schools for preschool children through the National Federation of Women Clubs and founding the now 8-decade-long Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

Ang mamatay nang dahil sayo - these are the last words of our National Anthem, Lupang Hinirang, that Josefa definitely lived up all her life. But to die isn't just the way to be a hero. Leading the right path when no one does, risking your life for your advocacy, and serving those people who are often unseen and unheard can also make you a hero. Celebrating their achievements and the things they once fought for could be nice, but the best thing we can do is to be inspired by their story to aspire to the world they were aspiring. Let us also pave the way to make our collected dreams our future by being brave enough to stand, being kind enough to make the world safer for others, and serving as a hero when no one can. After all, we are all the heroes of our own lives.