Josefa Jara-Martinez was a prominent social worker.

JOSEFA JARA-MARTINEZ

On graduating she became a teacher and a principal in a public school before she was sent to New York in 1919. She took up a degree in social work with child and family welfare as her major. On her return to the Philippines she worked to raise the standard of social work practice, introduced methods and new techniques in social work education.

Martinez founded and was the first director of the first school of social work in the Philippines, now known as Philippine School of Social Work which was affiliated with the Philippine Women's University.

21 January 1894

to 1987