For more than a decade, Lizel Osorio measured progress not in milestones but in small, hard-earned victories — school expenses paid on time, meals stretched to feed seven children and the quiet assurance that help, however modest, was within reach.

Now 54, Osorio, a resident of Sitio Dacutan Daku in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, has reached a turning point. Three of her children who were monitored under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are now professionals, gainfully employed and building lives of their own.

Osorio was not only a program beneficiary but also served as a 4Ps parent leader, guiding and motivating fellow beneficiaries to comply with program conditions while setting an example in the community.

Although four of her children are still in school, the Osorio family has already graduated from the 4Ps after being assessed as self-sufficient.

Under DSWD standards, self-sufficiency means a family can meet its basic needs, has a stable source of income from employment or a small business, can support children’s education and is equipped to avoid slipping back into poverty.

The journey, however, was far from easy.

The Osorio household became a 4Ps beneficiary in 2014, when supporting a family of nine felt like a constant uphill battle. With limited income and mounting daily expenses, every peso counted. The conditional cash transfer provided through the program helped stabilize the family’s finances, particularly for education and health needs.

Osorio said the assistance arrived at a crucial time, allowing her children to continue their studies even when expenses piled up.

Their story reflects the central goal of the 4Ps — breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty through investments in education, health and human development. Despite persistent challenges, Osorio said perseverance became a shared value within the household.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said cases like the Osorio family demonstrate the program’s intended outcome.

“Hindi talaga panghabambuhay ang 4Ps. Ang goal talaga nito ay tulungan ang pamilya na tumayo sa sarili nilang paa. Kapag nakita natin na improved na ang well-being nila, ibig sabihin gumagana ang intervention,” Dumlao said.

She added that graduating from the program should be seen as a success rather than a setback.

“Minsan may takot kapag sinabing ‘graduate na sa 4Ps,’ pero actually, that’s a good problem. Ibig sabihin kaya na nilang tustusan ang pangangailangan ng pamilya without regular cash grants. That’s empowerment,” Dumlao explained.

For Osorio, leaving the 4Ps marks both an ending and a beginning — the close of years defined by scarcity and the start of independence and renewed confidence.