For more than a decade, Lizel Osorio, a mother of seven, measured progress not in grand milestones, but in small, hard-earned victories — school projects paid on time, meals stretching just enough for seven children, and the quiet relief of knowing help, however modest, was within reach.

At 54, Lizel, a resident of Sitio Dacutan Daku in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, now finds herself at a turning point. Three of her children, monitored under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), are now professionals, gainfully employed, and carving out their own paths.

Beyond being a beneficiary, Lizel also served as a 4Ps parent leader, guiding, monitoring, and motivating fellow beneficiaries to comply with program conditions, while setting an example in her community.

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

Being self-sufficient means the family can now provide for their basic needs, generate a stable income through either a permanent job or small business, send their children to school, and safeguard their household against sliding back into poverty.

But reaching this point was no easy journey.

The Osorios became 4Ps beneficiaries in 2014, when sustaining a family of nine felt like climbing an endless uphill road. With limited income and the daily pressure of keeping her children in school, every peso mattered.

The conditional cash transfer (CCT) from 4Ps helped stabilize the family’s finances, particularly in meeting education and health needs. Lizel recalled that the support came at a critical time, allowing her children to continue studying even when expenses piled up.

Their journey mirrors the core goal of the 4Ps: breaking the cycle of poverty across generations by investing in education, health, and human development.

Challenges were never absent — from financial strain to the emotional toll of raising a large family — but Lizel said perseverance became a shared value at home.

Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, DSWD spokesperson, said stories like Lizel’s are exactly what the program is meant to achieve.

“Graduation from the program should be viewed as a success, not a loss,” Dumlao said. “There’s no need to fear when a family graduates from 4Ps. It means they can now meet their household needs without regular cash grants. That’s empowerment.”

For Lizel, graduating from the 4Ps marks both an end and a beginning — a close to a chapter of scarcity and the start of independence, confidence, and new possibilities.

As the DSWD continues to implement 4Ps nationwide, families like the Osorios stand as living proof that with sustained support, commitment, and determination, moving beyond poverty is not just a dream — it’s a reality.