The APO HIKING SOCIETY first gained recognition in 1973 when they gave a fa… Read Full Bio ↴The APO HIKING SOCIETY first gained recognition in 1973 when they gave a farewell concert at the plush Meralco Auditorium in Metro Manila. Just out of college, the group was the talk of the Ateneo University and adjoining campuses for their music and humor.

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.

Giliw
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Giliw
Masasaisip ka sa bawat huni ng ibon
Ihip ng hangin pagka't mahal kita
Malalamigan nais kong makapiling ka
Makasama ka sa bawat araw, bawat gabi
Wala nang hiwalayan
Magkayakap sa bawat sandali
Magkayakap sa bawat sandali

Giliw
Naririnig mo ba ang damdamin kong ito
Kanina pa pigil ang pagnanasa
Umaapaw pa rin
Ang laman ng puso ko
O giliw ko sa iyo'y walang hangganan
Walang katapusan,wala ng hiwalayan
Tahimik at sa bawat sandali
Tahimik at sa bawat sandali

Naririnig mo ba? (Naririnig mo ba?)
Madarama...

Giliw
Masasaisip ka sa bawat buhos ng ulan
Bigla ang puso ko'y nahuhukom sa iyo
Malalamigan nais kong makapiling ka
Makasama ka sa bawat araw,bawat gabi wala ng hiwalayan
Magkayakap sa bawat sandali

Magkayakap sa bawat sandali
Magkayakap sa bawat sandali

Overall Meaning

The song "Giliw" by the Apo Hiking Society is a love song featuring the feelings of the singer towards his love interest. The song starts with the singer expressing how he is reminded of his love interest whenever he hears the birds singing and feels the gentle breeze, as his love for her is so strong. He longs for her company and wants to be with her every day and every night, never to be separated again. The singer then tells his love interest that his desire and love for her are so intense that even though he has tried to hold back, it remains overwhelming his heart. He assures her that his love knows no bounds and there will never be an end to their union, and the song ends with a repetition of the chorus that connotes the inseparable bond between the lovers.

Line by Line Meaning

Masasaisip ka sa bawat huni ng ibon
You'll come to mind with every chirping of the birds.

Ihip ng hangin pagka't mahal kita
The breeze blowing is a reminder of how much I love you.

Malalamigan nais kong makapiling ka
I long to be with you and feel your coolness.

Makasama ka sa bawat araw, bawat gabi
I want to be with you every day and night.

Wala nang hiwalayan
There will be no more separation between us.

Magkayakap sa bawat sandali
Let's embrace each other always.

Naririnig mo ba ang damdamin kong ito
Do you hear my feelings?

Kanina pa pigil ang pagnanasa
I've been trying to hold back my desire for you.

Umaapaw pa rin
But it still overflows.

Ang laman ng puso ko
The contents of my heart.

O giliw ko sa iyo'y walang hangganan
Oh my darling, my love for you has no limits.