MANILA, Philippines — Julie Anne San Jose kept her word and showed up for fellow OPM star Yeng Constantino during the first night of the latter’s milestone “Biyaheng Bente” 20th anniversary concert, but it was a warm moment away from the stage that gave fans another glimpse of the friendship forming between the future The Voice Kids Philippines coaches.
Julie Anne attended Yeng’s concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, August 28, sharing clips from the show through her Instagram Stories and giving the singer-songwriter a simple but emphatic compliment: “Solid ka talaga.”
The support did not end in the audience.
A backstage video shared by Julie Anne’s handler, Dianne Bernardo, showed the two singers warmly embracing after the performance—a fitting moment between two artists who will soon find themselves sitting beside each other in the iconic red chairs of The Voice Kids Philippines.
Julie Anne had already promised she would be there
Days before the concert, Julie Anne revealed that she was looking forward to watching Yeng celebrate one of the biggest milestones of her career.
During an August 20 media conference for Julie Anne’s song “Saglit Lang,” the Kapuso singer confirmed that she intended to attend Yeng’s anniversary show.
Julie Anne also explained that her admiration for Yeng—and fellow The Voice Kids coach Gloc-9—goes back years. She said she grew up watching and listening to both artists, making their opportunity to work together feel almost surreal.
That context made Friday night’s backstage embrace more than a routine celebrity photo opportunity. Julie Anne was publicly supporting an artist she has described as one of the musicians she admired long before they became colleagues.
‘Biyaheng Bente’ marks 20 years of Yeng Constantino
Yeng’s “Biyaheng Bente” concerts are being staged at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on August 28 and 29, 2026, with the venue officially listing both performances for 8 p.m.
The shows celebrate Yeng’s 20 years in the Philippine music industry, revisiting a career that produced enduring OPM favorites including “Hawak Kamay,” “Salamat,” “Chinito,” and “Ikaw.”
Billboard Philippines reported that both Manila dates sold out, prompting the singer and her team to expand the anniversary celebration beyond the Big Dome. A Cebu edition is scheduled for September 20 at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena, while Yeng has also announced U.S. dates as part of the wider Biyaheng Bente celebration.
The milestone also represents a long-awaited Big Dome achievement for Yeng. The singer has described the Araneta engagement as her first solo concert at the venue, nearly two decades after her rise to national prominence following her victory on Pinoy Dream Academy.
From concert friends to rival coaches
The timing of Julie Anne and Yeng’s reunion is especially notable because the two are about to enter a very different kind of musical stage.
Yeng and rapper-songwriter Gloc-9 are joining Julie Anne as coaches for the newest season of “The Voice Kids Philippines.”
For Yeng, the program marks her first project under GMA Network. She previously said becoming a The Voice coach was among the career goals she had long hoped to achieve.
Gloc-9, meanwhile, said that despite carrying the title of coach, he expects to learn from Julie Anne, Yeng, and the young singers they will mentor.
Julie Anne is the returning veteran of the coaching panel and has warned her new colleagues that mentoring children can become intensely emotional because coaches invest their “mind, heart and soul” in their contestants.
The new season is scheduled to premiere September 13 at 7 p.m. on GMA and GMA Play, with Dingdong Dantes returning as host and Gabbi Garcia serving as journey host.
For now, however, there was no rivalry between Julie Anne and Yeng.
Before they begin competing to convince some of the country’s most promising young singers to join their respective teams, Julie Anne spent Friday night doing something far simpler: standing in the crowd, celebrating a fellow artist’s 20-year journey—and giving her a hug backstage when the music stopped.
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