BRATS (Boy R. Abunda Talk Series) is holding another interesting round of sharing life stories from guest speakers on July 25

Following its successful launch last month, BRATS (Boy R. Abunda Talk Series) is holding another interesting round of sharing life stories from guest speakers, interacting with the audience and delivering inspiring message from Boy Abunda on July 25, 7 p.m., at the Satin Room 2 of Seda Vertis North.



BRATS will focus on the topic about Mental Health in an aim to encourage people to speak up about their own experiences and share their points of view with individuals who may be struggling to explain what they are going through. According to mentalhealth.gov, Mental Health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. If one experiences mental health problems, his thinking, mood and behavior could be affected.



Just recently, news involving the suicide deaths of fashion designer Kate Spade and chef, author and TV host Anthony Bourdain shocked the world. The cause of the disheartening act was linked to depression. No one knew what was going through inside of them days or even hours before they cut their lives short.

What's best for any individual is to never be ashamed to openly talk about how he/she feels and share what goes through the mind to identify early on the source of the problem.



As what Boy said in his BRATS opening remarks, people need to talk to each other. "We need to touch each other's lives. We need to listen to each other. We are in a wired generation. One of our goals is to go back to the basics. To enjoy laughter, aspirations and conversations. And it should be experienced live."



In BRATS: Mental Health, guest speakers Miss International 2016 Kylie Versoza, actress and model Jasmine Curtis Smith, actress and screen writer Bela Padilla,  NGO advocate Quennie Maravillas  and student Nykko Bautista are ready to share their own stories with the audience and listen to what anyone wants to say without the need to ask for anybody's permission.



For registration and other information call Ms. Bemz Benedito at +639179984584 or Rufino Hirang at +63917.8254214 or email boyrabundatalks@gmail.com

Reach for your dreams via Anne Curtis' Dream Machine

Anne Curtis recently launched her dream project the "Dream Machine" on August 21 at Vanilla Cupcake Cafe, QC.   With the aim to empower the dreamers to live out their dreams. The launch was hosted by her celebrity sister Jasmine Curtis Smith and attended by RUNRIO founder and noted runner Rio de la Cruz for her Dream machine's first project Color Run.

There are three categories of dreams that Dream Machine will be supporting:

Youth, Education and Empowerment.

“I have always been a dreamer. In my 20 years in showbiz, I have worked hard to reach for my dreams. I am blessed to have already achieved most of my dreams and it’s now my turn to be a blessing to others through the Dream Machine platform,” Anne said.

Anne, who has been doing charity works quietly for many years, decided to put up the Dream Machine after hearing stories of dream shaming.

“It is sad when people set dreams in their hearts only to be dream-shamed by people either because of their color, their status in life, their current skills. It gets worse when it is their own family or their loved ones who shoot down their dreams. The Dream Machine platform hopes to encourage dreamers to continue chasing their dreams and we will do our best to help them,” she adds.

Anne revealed that she also was a victim of dream shaming when people called her out for holding the Annebisyosa concert, saying she did not have the right chops to sing, much less do a concert.

“To sing before a huge audience was my dream. And I worked hard to make it happen. It was not something that I did just for myself, but the Annebisyosa concert was also my way of encouraging people to always fight for their dreams in the face of those that say you can’t do it,” Anne recalled.

Through Dream Machine, Anne hopes to connect with dreamers and learn more about their dreams through the Dream Machine website.

“Before the school year started, we were approached by the General Roxas Elementary School in Quezon City for support in their school renovation. Dream Machine was very happy to help and we are hoping that the renovation will inspire the students to study better,” Anne shared.

To officially kickstart the platform, Dream Machine is hosting the Color Run to empower the dreams of disabled children under the auspices of UNICEF. Anne has been a UNICEF ambassador for 2 years already.

“Proceeds of the Dream Machine Color Run will all go to the children with disabilities being taken care of by UNICEF. These children are dreamers, too, and you’ll be surprised that some of their dreams are not really for themselves but for their families,” Anne said.

Dream Machine will also roll out the red carpet for the dream weddings of three couples on the first quarter of next year. Couples are invited to share their love stories with Anne through the Dream Machine website.  Three couples will be chosen and will be provided their own dream weddings by the Dream Machine.

“The Dream Machine wants to put a stop to dream shaming and instead would like to inspire and encourage more people to dream big.  The Dream Machine wants to connect with the dreamers, the dream chasers. The platform serves as the dream-weaver, and will try to find ways to finally turn dream chasers into dream catchers,” Anne explained.

Anne said she’ll be happy to welcome other people who would want to be part of the Dream Machine as dream-givers as much as she would love to hear the stories of the dreamers.

“At the end of the day, what Dream Machine hopes to achieve is to be able to inspire the dreamers, help them achieve their dreams and hopefully be able to start a dream revolution where there’ll be a lot of dream-givers to help the dreamers. The world will be a much happier place when that happens,” Anne said.

Dreamers may start sending in their dreams via the Dream Machine website http://www.dreammachine.ph/.