Anne Curtis’ passion project Dream Machine grants dreams of Puerto Princesa children

MANILA, Philippines — Small dreams can bring about big hopes and lasting light.

This is the vision of actress, host mother, entrepreneur and children’s advocate Anne Curtis when she launched Dream Machine, her passion advocacy project, nine years ago.

“We built Dream Machine anchored on the simple belief that no dream is too small and no one should be made to feel ashamed of what they hope for,” Anne said.

Since then, Dream Machine continues to grind, granting small dreams and creating ripples of joy, hope and inspiration amongst different people and various communities.

In Dream Machine’s latest dream-granting initiative, 638 children and families across Puerto Princesa received school supplies to prepare the children when they go back to school and rain gear to protect them from the rains. 

Getting ready for the first day of school

From June 3 to 8, 2026, Dream Machine held its Balik Eskwela Gift-Giving Initiative across nine communities in Puerto Princesa, reaching 300 children with complete school supply kits—ten notebooks each, along with pencils, erasers, art paper, bond paper, envelopes, folders, rulers, glue, and scissors.

For the children who received them, the kits meant more than fresh notebooks and sharpened pencils. It is a reminder that they deserve to be prepared, and that their dreams are worth showing up for.

Staying dry through the rainy season

Two months later, on August 8 and 9, Dream Machine returned to Puerto Princesa with its Rain Gear Gift-Giving Initiative, this time focused on remote barangays where the rainy season hits hardest. Volunteers distributed rain boots, raincoats, and umbrellas to 338 beneficiaries across 11 communities and puroks, including Barangay Mangingisda, Barangay Luzviminda, Barangay Iwahig, Lucbuan, Bahile, and San Jose. For many of the children who received boots that day, it was the first pair they had ever owned, a small detail that made a big difference for a child walking to school through flooded paths. 

Grateful little hands and hearts

Following both initiatives, several children who received school supplies and rain gear wrote heartfelt, handwritten letters to Anne expressing their gratitude. What may have seemed like simple supplies became something more personal. For them, it is knowing that someone cared about their needs, their comfort and their dreams. 

Made possible together

Neither initiative could have reached as many families without the Academy for Excellence in Leadership Transformation (AcELT), whose partnership made both the Balik Eskwela and Rain Gear drives possible. Between the two, Dream Machine reached 638 beneficiaries in Puerto Princesa this year—300 children through Balik Eskwela and 338 more through the Rain Gear initiative. But the real measure of the project was never the number. It was the small, quiet moments of relief and joy that came with it.

“Every dream counts, no matter how small. A notebook, a pair of books, these aren’t just supplies. They’re a way of telling a child their dreams matter and that someone is willing to help them get a little closer to their dreams,” Anne said. 

A dream worth passing on

Dream Machine is proof that making a difference doesn’t always call for grand gestures—sometimes it’s a notebook, a pencil or a pair of rain boots.

Through the platform, Anne keeps returning to the same message: don’t be ashamed to dream, no matter how big or small, and when you can, help someone else get a little closer to theirs. Dreams met with compassion, instead of judgment, become possibilities—and when a community comes together around those possibilities, even the smallest dream can leave a lasting light.

Editor’s Note: This is a press release from Dream Machine. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.