For more than a decade, Lizel Osorio, a mother of seven, measured progress not in 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 that 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 forging their own paths.

Beyond being a beneficiary, Lizel also served as a 4Ps parent leader, a role that required her to guide, monitor, and motivate fellow beneficiaries in complying with program conditions, while also being a good example in their community.

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

Being self-sufficient means the family now has the capacity to provide for their basic needs, have stable income generated from either a permanent job or small business, have the ability to send their children to school, and are prepared to protect their households from sliding back to poverty.

However, getting to where they are now was not an easy path for Lizel and her family.

The Osorio household became a 4Ps beneficiary in 2014, at a time when sustaining a family of nine felt like an unending uphill climb.

With limited income and the daily pressure of keeping her children in school, every peso mattered.

The conditional cash transfer (CCT) provided through 4Ps helped stabilize the family’s finances, particularly in meeting education and health-related needs.

The support came at a critical time, Lizel shared, noting that the assistance played a vital role in allowing her children to continue their studies, especially during periods when expenses piled up one after another.

The Osorio family’s journey reflects the core objective of the 4Ps: to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by investing in education, health, and human development.

While challenges were never absent—ranging from financial strain to the emotional toll of raising a large family—Lizel said perseverance became a shared value in their home.

According to Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, the DSWD spokesperson, stories like Lizel’s and her family underscore what the program is designed to achieve.

“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,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.

Asst. Secretary Dumlao emphasized that graduation from the program should be viewed as a success, not a loss.

“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,” the DSWD spokesperson explained.

For Lizel, graduating from the 4Ps is both an end and a beginning—marking the close of a chapter of scarcity and the start of independence and renewed confidence.

As the DSWD continues to implement the 4Ps nationwide, families like the Osorio household stand as living proof that with sustained support, commitment, and determination, moving beyond poverty is not just an aspiration—but an attainable reality. (KI)