It was only when two of its four members were about to retire from the field of amateur music, however, that the APO, then known as the Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, finally had a city-wide audience. One of them was scheduled to leave for Turkey as an exchange student. The other had a position waiting for him in his father's advertising firm.
Why a talented young man of 21 would want to go to Turkey, every young man in the early seventies would probably understand. But what the APO could not understand was their fourth member's decision to leave the irresponsibility of being unemployed to join the ranks of the corporate world.
The trip to Turkey did not materialize and the APO, now a tentative trio, pushed on steadily towards fame and fortune.
Looking back, the APO members Danny Javier, Boboy Garrovillo, and Jim Paredes do not regret never having been regular wage earners. Their farewell concert, which had SRO audiences for two stormy nights, not unexpectedly became a hit record the following year.
In the three decades since that "farewell" concert, the APO has made 22 record albums; hosted several television shows including their own noontime Sunday show "Sa Linggo nAPO Sila"; and launched hugely successful major solo concerts and countless provincial, dinner, and corporate shows. They have performed in over 50 cities in the United States, in Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Japan to bring Original Pilipino Music to Filipinos the world over.
In October of 1987, during their annual US tour, the APO became the first Filipino pop artists to perform at the Main Hall of New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall. They also performed at the equally prestigious Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada's music capital. Both concerts, as well as the other shows held during that particular concert tour, were sold out. The APO were also the first Filipino artists to perform in a public concert in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1987, they were one of the first Filipino artists to be recorded on compact disc. And in 1994, they were awarded the first Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino by Awit Awards - the Filipino equivalent of the Grammy. They have also been conferred the Tanglaw Ng Lahi Award, the highest accolade given by Jesuits in the field of culture and arts.
The APO also earned international recognition for Jim Paredes' anthem on the bloodless Philippine revolution in 1986. "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo" was recorded by 15 Filipino artists in April 1986. A few months later, the English version "A New and Better Way" was launched in Australia. In February 1987, the first anniversary of the Philippines' People Power revolution, the song was released in London, England. The lyrics of the song are embedded on a wall of Our Lady of Edsa Shrine, the center of the revolution.
Alipin Ng Mundo
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pagkat ang mura lang ng bayad sa talino mo
Alila ng dayuhan at yaya ng kanyang anak
At kung minsan naman, ika'y pulutan sa alak
Tinitiis mo ang lahat ng hirap at luha
Upang pamilya ay makaraos at guminhawa
Binabaliwala mo lamang ang sakit ng kalungkutan
Ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?
Naiiba sa lahi mo
Ulila sa pinanggalingan, alipin sa pinuntahan
Kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?
Ikaw ay nasa pook maliban sa iyong bansa
At ang tingin nila sa 'yo ay napakababa
Pinagagawa sa 'yo ang mga ayaw nilang gawin
At 'pag natapos na'ng kontrata, ika'y pauuwiin
Mahirap palang mabuhay na walang karapatan
Nakikisuyo lang sa bawat pangangailangan
Laging nag-iingat dahil wala ka sa iyong bansa
Walang mapuntahan kapag ikaw ay nasita
Ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?
Naiiba sa lahi mo
Ulila sa pinanggalingan, alipin sa pinuntahan
Kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?
Ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?
Naiiba sa lahi mo
Ulila sa pinanggalingan, alipin sa pinuntahan
Kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?
The song "Alipin Ng Mundo" by Apo Hiking Society is a commentary on the struggles of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who migrate to other countries to find work and support their families back home. The lyrics describe the difficulties and sacrifices that these OFWs face, including being undervalued, overworked, and sometimes mistreated in their new countries. Despite these hardships, the song acknowledges the resilience and determination of these individuals who endure these experiences in order to provide for their loved ones.
The opening stanza of the song expresses how the OFWs are found in every corner of the world, working as maids or nannies (alila ng dayuhan at yaya ng kanyang anak) or sometimes even being viewed as mere appetizers for drinking sessions (ika'y pulutan sa alak). The following lines describe how these workers endure hardships and tears just to support their families (tinitiis mo ang lahat ng hirap at luha upang pamilya ay makaraos at guminhawa). The chorus asks the question, "ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?" (are you a slave of the world?) and describes how these migrant workers are unique (naiiba sa lahi mo) and separated from their home communities (ulila sa pinanggalingan) yet also enslaved by their current situation (alipin sa pinuntahan).
The remaining verses continue with this theme, describing how difficult it is to live without rights and constantly needing to ask for permission (nakikisuyo lang sa bawat pangangailangan). The final question of the chorus, "kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?" (my friend, how did you become like this?), is a powerful and poignant reminder of the humanity of these often-overlooked workers and the sacrifices they have made for their families.
Line by Line Meaning
Ikaw ay nahahanap sa bawat sulok ng mundo
You are found in every corner of the world
Pagkat ang mura lang ng bayad sa talino mo
Because your intellect is undervalued
Alila ng dayuhan at yaya ng kanyang anak
A foreigner's servant or a babysitter
At kung minsan naman, ika'y pulutan sa alak
And sometimes, you are just the alcohol's appetizer
Tinitiis mo ang lahat ng hirap at luha
You endure all hardships and tears
Upang pamilya ay makaraos at guminhawa
So that your family can survive and prosper
Binabaliwala mo lamang ang sakit ng kalungkutan
You just ignore the pain of loneliness
Nagpapasalamat pa na may pinagkakakitaan
Thankful that there is something to earn
Ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?
Are you a slave to the world?
Naiiba sa lahi mo
Different from your ethnicity
Ulila sa pinanggalingan, alipin sa pinuntahan
An orphan of your hometown, a slave of your destination
Kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?
Friend, how did you end up like this?
Ikaw ay nasa pook maliban sa iyong bansa
You are in a place other than your own country
At ang tingin nila sa 'yo ay napakababa
And they see you as very lowly
Pinagagawa sa 'yo ang mga ayaw nilang gawin
They make you do things they don't want to do
At 'pag natapos na'ng kontrata, ika'y pauuwiin
And when the contract is up, they send you home
Mahirap palang mabuhay na walang karapatan
It's difficult to live without rights
Nakikisuyo lang sa bawat pangangailangan
Just begging for every need
Laging nag-iingat dahil wala ka sa iyong bansa
Always cautious because you're not in your country
Walang mapuntahan kapag ikaw ay nasita
Nowhere to go when you are stopped
Ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?
Are you a slave to the world?
Naiiba sa lahi mo
Different from your ethnicity
Ulila sa pinanggalingan, alipin sa pinuntahan
An orphan of your hometown, a slave of your destination
Kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?
Friend, how did you end up like this?
Ikaw ba'y alipin ng mundo?
Are you a slave to the world?
Naiiba sa lahi mo
Different from your ethnicity
Ulila sa pinanggalingan, alipin sa pinuntahan
An orphan of your hometown, a slave of your destination
Kaibigan, paano ka nagkaganito?
Friend, how did you end up like this?
Writer(s): Jim Paredes
Contributed by Cole I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bernadette Arcena-Jacinto
on Blue Jeans
a sa on sa ondai.