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.

Pakinggan Mo
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pakinggan mo ang awit ko
Pagka't to ay totoo
Hinding-hindi ako magbibiro ng ganito
Minamahal kita mundo ko'y magigiba
Kapag nalaman kong ibig na tayong lumayo wag mo kong iiwanan
Giliw ko wag mo kung sasaktan
Mahal ko awitin ko ay pakinggan
Bigay mo sana ang hiling ko sayo

Wag mong papabayaan pakinggan ang katuwiran
Walang ibang makapat mamahal na tulad ko
Minamahal kita mundo ko'y magigiba
Kapag nalaman kong ibig na tayong lumayo wag mo kong iiwanan
Giliw ko wag mo kong sasaktan
Mahal ko awitin ko ay pakinggan
Bigay mo sana ang hiling ko sayo

Da-ra-da-da-da-ra-da
Da-ra-da-da-da-ra-da
Da-ra-da-ra-da-da-da-da-ra-da-da-ra-da

Minamahal kita mundo ko'y magigiba
Kapag nalaman kong ibig na tayong lumayo (hu)
Giliw ko (hu)
Ha
Hu
Hu

Lumayo (wag mo kong iiwanan)
Giliw ko wag mo kong sasaktan (giliw ko)
Mahal ko awitin ko ay pakinggan ha (mahal ko)

Giliw ko (giliw ko)
Mahal ko (mahal ko)
Lumayo (lumayo)

Giliw ko (giliw ko)
Mahal ko (mahal ko)

Overall Meaning

The song, "Pakinggan Mo" by Apo Hiking Society, is a plea of endless, genuine love that should be reciprocated. The song is a love story from a lover who sings of the sincerity of their feelings. The lyrics speak of the lover's plea to listen to their song because it is true and not a joke or a game. The chorus is a straightforward request to never leave them when they'll find out that their love affair is a real scenario.

In the second verse, the singer emphasizes the importance of listening to his plea by highlighting that no one else would ever love their beloved as they do, and to dismiss their plea will destabilize their world. One can sense the desperation in the lyrics, making their plea even more heartfelt. The following lines reiterate the point from the first verse, to never leave and hurt them because the love displayed here is pure and true.

Overall, the song is a plea for reciprocation of love, a plea for understanding, and a plea not to break their hearts. The beat of the song is light, but the lyrics are heavy, making it a love ballad with a desperate plea that is relatable and touching.

Line by Line Meaning

Pakinggan mo ang awit ko
Listen to my song

Pagka't to ay totoo
Because this is true

Hinding-hindi ako magbibiro ng ganito
I will never joke about this

Minamahal kita mundo ko'y magigiba
I love you, my world will crumble

Kapag nalaman kong ibig na tayong lumayo wag mo kong iiwanan
If I find out we have to go away, don't leave me

Giliw ko wag mo kung sasaktan
My love, please don't hurt me

Mahal ko awitin ko ay pakinggan
I love my song, please listen to it

Bigay mo sana ang hiling ko sayo
Please grant my request

Wag mong papabayaan pakinggan ang katuwiran
Don't neglect to listen to reason

Walang ibang makapapantay na tulad ko
There's no one else who can love you like me

Da-ra-da-da-da-ra-da