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.

Mahirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mahirap talagang magmahal ng syota ng iba
Hindi mo mabisita kahit okey sa kanya
Mahirap oh mahirap talaga
Maghanap ka na lang kaya ng iba

Ngunit kapag nakita ang kanyang mga mata
Nawawala ang aking pagkadismaya
Sige lang sugod lang o bahala na

Bahala na kung magkabistuhan pa

I-dial mo ang number sa telepono
Huwag mong ibibigay ang tunay na pangalan mo
Pag nakausap mo siya sasabihin sa'yo
Tumawag ka mamaya nanditong syota ko

Mahirap talaga ang magmahal ng iba
Oh sakit ng ulo maniwala ka
Ngunit kahit ano pang sabihin nila
Iwanan siya'y di ko magagawa

Mahirap humanap ng iba
Oh sakit ng ulo maniwala ka
Ngunit kahit ano pang sabihin nila
Iwanan siya'y di ko magagawa
Iwanan siya'y di ko magagawa

Iwanan siya'y di ko magagawa
Iwanan siya'y di ko magagawa

Overall Meaning

The song "Mahirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba" by Apo Hiking Society describes the difficulties and pains of being in love with someone who already has a significant other. The first stanza acknowledges how challenging and frustrating it is to be in such a situation in which an individual cannot visit, be near the person he/she loves, or even be affectionate towards him/her because he/she belongs to someone else. The character in the song suggests perhaps finding someone else and moving on from the situation rather than dealing with the problems that come along with loving someone who is unavailable.

However, the second stanza contains a shift in the song's tone, as the character acknowledges how his/her mind gets swayed every time he/she sees his/her love interest. Despite the difficulties in the situation, the person still can't leave him/her, and this internal conflict is presented in the lines "Sige lang sugod lang o bahala na/Bahala na kung magkabistuhan pa." The character is torn between doing what is right and satisfying his/her feelings.

The chorus reiterates the pain and difficulties of such a relationship, how heartbreaking it is to fall in love with someone who's already taken. Despite the hardships, the character can't help but stay because leaving his/her love interest is not something he/she can do.

Line by Line Meaning

Mahirap talagang magmahal ng syota ng iba
It is truly difficult to love someone who is already in a relationship with someone else

Hindi mo mabisita kahit okey sa kanya
You can't even visit them even if they say it's okay

Mahirap oh mahirap talaga
It's really, really tough

Maghanap ka na lang kaya ng iba
Maybe you should just look for someone else

Ngunit kapag nakita ang kanyang mga mata
But when you see their eyes

Nawawala ang aking pagkadismaya
All my disappointment fades away

Sige lang sugod lang o bahala na
Just go ahead and take your chances, whatever happens

Bahala na kung magkabistuhan pa
It doesn't matter if you get caught

I-dial mo ang number sa telepono
Dial their number on the phone

Huwag mong ibibigay ang tunay na pangalan mo
Don't give them your real name

Pag nakausap mo siya sasabihin sa'yo
If you talk to them, they'll tell you