AUDIOJUNKIE: 12 years of good music and then some
Published Aug 10, 2026 09:26 am
Yukii Takahashi, Monina Lawrence and Sharmaine Suarez
Inventing fire or the wheel today would seem almost impossible. Humanity has already come so far that most new inventions are improvements or combinations of things that already exist. The truly groundbreaking discoveries—the ones that completely change how we live—are much harder to come by.
But every once in a while, something comes along that may not be entirely new but has the same effect. It takes an existing idea and presents it in a way that changes how people think, behave, or experience the world. It may not be the next fire or wheel, but it can still feel just as revolutionary.
That is where the idea of the Wish Bus comes in. The concept of a mobile performance platform is not entirely new, but putting a live stage on wheels and bringing artists directly to the streets of the Metro gives it a different kind of reach. Instead of waiting for audiences to come to a concert venue, the performance comes to them—turning an ordinary bus ride or roadside stop into a stage for music.
These all came to mind recently learning that Wish 107.5, the radio station that brought us the Wish bus is celebrating its 12th year anniversary this month. We just couldn't help but recognize its greatest contribution to local music.
Yep, it’s been twelve years since the ubiquitous bus has been mounted and hundreds of artists, bands and solo acts have had the pleasure of performing on it. I myself have been on it dozens of times (not as a performer though) and have had many times over brought artists to perform and appear on it. A good number of those I can still remember. These include The Juans, Rob Deniel, Allmo$t, Janine, Marion Aunor and Arthur Nery.
As a media practitioner (once an advertising and promotion manager), the Wish Bus have been an integral part of the promotional run of an artist. A song hasn’t been “launched” yet if it hasn’t been featured on the bus. So it follows that an artist has to perform it live on the bus for it to be officially “launched.” Well, that was how I saw it, and it played beautifully at that so much so that every label’s promo division wanted to put their artists on said bus.
Back then, when the bus was new, it really set a trend. Today Wish bus performances could also be enjoyed online via YouTube.
Wish bus from Wish 107.5
That it also gave rise to the annual Wish Music Awards proves how effective a vehicle it is.
Anyway, another thing the station is putting on this month is “Wish Date: Unchanging Glass.” It’s a concert presented in partnership with KDR Music House. The concert, which will take place on August 23, 2026, will feature Zaijan Jaranilla, Yukii Takahashi and Aljon Mendoza with supporting performances from Monina Lawrence, Sharmaine Suarez and Chikki Magbitang.
For the upcoming 12th Wish anniversary special, music guests include The Juans, dwta, Renz Verano and Pops Fernandez.