An Analysis of a 21st Century Philippine Literature entitled
Apo On the Wall by BJ Patiño
"When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right," this is a famous quote from Victor Hugo that is imprinted to the minds of many people.
Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty. Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.
These words are extreme and heavy to digest in our minds. But have you ever wondered what is the perception of a child who—lived in the past and—knows a little or maybe nothing about what happened and the person behind it?
BACKGROUND
Biographical / Authorial information:
COPY OF THE LITERARY TEXT
Apo On the Wall
There’s this man’s photo on the wall
of my father’s office at home, you
know, where father brings his work,
where he doesn’t look strange
still wearing his green uniform
and colored breast plates, where,
to prove that he works hard, he
also brought a photo of his boss
whom he calls Apo, so Apo could,
you know, hang around on the wall
behind him and look over his shoulders
to make sure he’s snappy and all.
Father snapped at me once, caught me
sneaking around his office at home
looking at the stuff on his wall—handguns,
plaques, a sword, medals, a rifle—
told me that was no place for a boy
only men, when he didn’t really
have to tell me because, you know,
that photo of Apo on the wall was already
looking at me while I moved around,
his eyes following me like he was
that scary Jesus in the hallway, saying
I know, I know what you’re doing.
ANALYSIS
Literary Genre
Poem or poetry is a type of literature that conveys a thought, describes a scene or tells a story in a concentrated, lyrical arrangement of words. Poems are pieces of writing that uses words filtered thoroughly and chosen for their own elegance and relativity to a certain theme in which can also be used to form figures of speech for the additional texture and effect to it. The effect may be rhetorical that primarily helps the arrangement to be more appealing to the readers because of the richness of its writing. Poems can be structured, with rhyming lines and meter, the rhythm and emphasis of a line based on syllabic beats; and can also be in freeform, which follows no formal structure. It is further subdivided into different genres such as an epic poem, narrative, romantic, dramatic, and lyric.
Apo on the Wall can be considered a poem because of the way it is written and the manner of the author in selecting words which intend to narrate honestly and innocently from a child's point of view about his father and the hanging photo around the wall that is called Apo. The poem also shows the curiosity of the child about the man on the wall of his father's office. It is a freeform narrative poem because it does not follow a formal structure wherein meter, rhyming lines, and syllabic beats are absent.
Process Questions / Analysis Guides
How would you describe the persona and the persona's father? How would you describe their relationship? Would you say that your relationship with your father is similar or different? Explain.
The persona is a curious child who honestly narrates the environment around him in their household, specifically the office of his father in which a certain photo can be seen behind him hanging around the wall. His father also has other stuff hanging on his wall beside the photograph like handguns, plaques, a sword, medals, a rifle, and he's also wearing green uniform and colored breast plates that will likely make him a hard working and high ranking soldier who is loyal to his boss—whom he calls Apo.
Because of the father's occupation as a high ranking loyal soldier, most of his time was dedicated to his work to the extent that he would bring it to their home. He and his child are distant to each other because of it and the father is strict due to the nature of his occupation, which in other words, he does not have enough or any time for his family.
I would say that everybody's father has different traits but also do have something in common. For example, every father will do everything for his family to support, protect, and take care of them. However, not all of them can provide the assistance needed by their family. Every ideology, belief, and action of a father—or adults, in general—will greatly influence their own child, in both positive and negative sides.
In lines 12-13 in the poem, there is the use of the words “snappy” and “snapped”, respectively. What do these words mean? How do they add to the poem in terms of sound? How do they add to your understanding of the relationship between the father and the son?
Snappy is an informal adjective that has two different meanings. The first definition is irritable and inclined to speak sharply while the other one is cleverly concise and neat. The definition of snappy used in the 12th line is the latter one that is supported by lines 7, 11, and 12 which means that the hanging photo of Apo around the wall behind him (the father) will make sure that the demonstrating of work skill by him is efficient, neat, and clever.
Snap is a verb that also has different meanings. But the most common of all is breaking something sudden and completely, and sudden loss of one's self-control. The definition of snap used at the 13th line is the latter one. It can be proven through the lines after when the word itself was used. The father got worked up when he caught his child sneaking inside his office and even scolded it that was no place for a boy, only men.
If you keep saying these words many times, one thing that will come to your mind is the image of a breaking or broken rope that represents the limitation or end of the patience of someone. With this in our imagination, expectedly, the behavior of someone will change suddenly and even lose their self-control.
This still doesn’t change the perspective of ours that the relationship between the father and the child is distant and strict because of the loyalty and obedience of the father to his work and boss.
Who is Apo in the poem? Cite evidence to support your answer.
In the poem and the title itself, the name "Apo" was often mentioned to describe a certain person. It was quite intriguing because the author didn't reveal the identity of the person behind it. Even though there are hints that he is the boss of the persona's father and even compared to the scary Jesus in the hallway, there is still no way to prove who Apo really is.
When we searched up the meaning of Apo, it is an Ilocano respect particle (particles lack a meaning independent of a phrase or clause) word that is used in addressing superiors or strangers. It can be used with titles of family members, their names or titles of authority. And when we dug deeper, we found a story titled “The Legend of Apo Lakay-lakay in Claveria '' which is about the legendary group of rock formations at Tanggat Lagoon that is clearly seen from the beach of Claveria. Lakay means elder, name for a respected person, old man.
The only man in the Philippines who used the nickname “Apo Lakay” was Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
In Marcos’ first two presidential terms in 1965 – 1972, he was generally recognized as a “master of populist imagery” actively sought to create a “macho” image, associating his public image with symbols of masculinity, indirectly through stories of wartime escapades and by making sure he was photographed joining farmers in planting their rice crops; and more directly by casting himself in masculine roles in commissioned works of art, including poems, paintings, and photographs. Marcos also associated himself and his wife Imelda with the Filipino creation myth of “Malakas and Maganda.” One often-cited instance of this was Evan Cosayco, painting the couple commissioned in which Marcos was portrayed as the muscular Adam-figure, Malakas. And Imelda was portrayed as the pure and beautiful Eve-figure, Maganda.
However during the Martial Law in the year 1972 – 1981, many ideologies were linked to it such as “Bagong Lipunan” and “Constitutional Authoritarianism” that are both supported by Marcos. He said that there was a need to “reform society” by placing it under the control of a “benevolent dictator” in a “constitutional authority” which could guide the undisciplined populace through a period of chaos. The Philippine education system underwent a major period of restructuring after the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, Marcos took control of the mass media to silence public criticism during what was considered the “dark days of martial law,” where under his name, journalists were arrested and he took control over media outlets. Along with it are the shutdown of media outlets, attacks on the journalists, crony press and censorship, and even rewriting some of the Philippine History.
Marcos took off his early efforts to portray himself as a virile, macho figure, and later associated himself with idealized images of the leaders of precolonial Philippine settlements—the Apo, Datu, and Lakan. He then furthered this image of himself as the strong masculine leader by glamorizing the early historical Barangay settlements and the Maharlika warrior class. Marcos sees the Philippines as a society of tribes, and he sees himself as the great tribal chief, the "datu" of pre-Spanish times.
This is how Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. gained the nickname Apo Lakay, why he used it, and the proof supporting that the “Apo On the Wall” was indeed the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
How would you describe the relationship between the persona’s father and Apo? What does this tell us about the father’s perspective about Martial Law?
The persona’s father is extremely loyal to Apo that even without his direct supervision, he would prove that he works hard by still wearing his green uniform and colored breast plates while doing his work even when he’s alone at the office of their own house. He also brought the photo of his boss—Apo—for him to hang it around the wall behind him, so that he could feel the look over his shoulders by his boss and to make sure that he’s working efficiently and cleverly.
Because of the father’s blind obedience to his boss, he supported his ideologies and would even do anything for him without any questions asked.
What kind of values does the father of the persona want to teach to his child, specifically, about what it means to be a man? Do you agree with these values? Why or why not?
The value of obedience. Because of the father’s loyalty to Apo which he obeys blindedly, he subconsciously taught it also to his child and forced him to comply with his every order. He also thought that men should obey the laws and orders from their higher-ups and work hard until they reached the top, just to be feared and obeyed by others lower than them.
I do not agree with this value because in the first place, obedience and respect is a different thing. Many obey a ruler out of fear, but one respects a king out of love. Respect is something you can gain when people put their trust in you because they felt a deep admiration towards your abilities, qualities, and achievements.
Why is Apo compared to the “scary” Jesus in the hallway? What do they seem to have in common?
Based on the information we searched and provided, apo is the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., the former president and dictator who commenced Martial Law. Marcos is compared to the “scary” Jesus in the hallway because during Martial Law, the freedom of everyone from their rights are stripped off and they even experienced being watched, which is more of a threat rather than the feeling of assurance.
Everyone had to be cautious because the military and other informants were everywhere. This is compared to how God sees all, and we should be mindful of our actions. Aside from that, people also believe that God is all-powerful and can do anything that he wants to everybody. In the same sense during Martial Law, Marcos had the power to do anything that could be done to the citizens for any reason.
God is often described as omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (all-present) creature, which in the martial law, it is Marcos’ main characteristics that are feared by the powerless at the bottom of the chains. For a child to see these portraits, they can't help but become uneasy and scared.
What do the father, Apo, and the “scary” Jesus have in common?
Their gazes that can send chills to you and will make you obey them out of fear, become disturbed by their piercing eyes which won't let you leave their sights.
Read the last line of the poem. What does it mean? How does this regulate the person's behavior?
"I know what you're doing" is the last line of the poem. It means that someone is monitoring you and knows everything about the things you are engaging with. It is more of a threat to the people that forced them to abide by the laws of the above just to live a life without freedom and full of risks.
Do you think the persona’s perspective about Martial Law is the same as his father’s? Why or why not?
No, because the narrator or the persona was clearly a juvenile. He was just curious about what his father upto and the photo hanging around the wall. There are also no words from the persona that came from him which can be used as a hint to determine and describe his perspective about Martial Law, but only him being uneasy because of the piercing gaze of Apo's portrait.
How does this poem provide the reader a glimpse of what Martial Law was like? How did the poem make you feel?
At first glance and reading Apo On the Wall without knowing anything, the poem was like an allusion to a certain someone named Apo. But when the lines and texts are digested and analyzed one by one, the puzzle is solved by completing the big missing piece, by knowing who's the man named apo. Light has been shed to the poem that the Apo often mentioned to it was the late former president and dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
We can say that this poem provides the reader a glimpse of what Martial Law was like by bringing the terror of being watched and threatened, at the same time, through the use of lines “That scary Jesus in the hallway, saying I know, I know what you’re doing.” This is the time when you should be extremely mindful of your own actions and everything around you because no one knows what will happen to yourself in the future.
The realization about the poem has dawned on us that even the closest person or a family member of the servant of the ruler, can still be innocent and ignorant from the deeds they made.
Contextual Analysis
Using sociocultural context, Apo on the Wall by Bj Patino is a poem that talks about the narration of a child’s point of view about his rigorous Father and the hanging photo around the wall to whom they called “Apo”. The poem tells the reality of life, situation, and relationship of a certain family, with a high ranking soldier as their head that is obedient to his boss, during the reign of Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. alongside the Martial Law.
Living a life wherein even the series of success are achieved, long ago even before imposing Martial Law, the Marcos administration already received many criticisms. Opposition politicians were jailed and the armed forces became an arm of the regime. Under Martial Law, Marcos was assumed to be omnipotent. Even after the end of it, he still continued rule in a blind submission to authority under constitutional formats and still won the newly created post of president against token opposition in June 1981 as the Fourth Republic and served as his last term.
Despite the downfall of Marcos and the return of the democratic government, fears are still lingering in the minds of the people who experienced Martial Law directly. Piercing gazes that won't let you leave their sight will always remind them of the terror of being watched. This masterpiece of Bj Patiño advocates reasonably close to the realization of giving importance on looking back to our past, moving forward through our present and ensuring the success of our future.
SUMMARY
The poem "Apo on the wall" by Bj Patino became eye from the past. This poem shows how the child describe his father and the photo hanging on the wall that they called apo. The poem Apo on the wall showed the importance of the past and applying the lessons of past to the present.The poem tells the reality of life during the reign of Marcos in conjunction with Martial Law. Even the poem didn't give the events that happened during Martial Law it still refers to what and how Filipinos experienced the tragic events throughout the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.The poem is about a child's perspective on his father, as well as a photograph of Apo on the wall. Apo is his father's superior. Apo's photo, according to the little child, appears like a scary Jesus in the corridor because his eyes constantly following him. Because there is a phrase in the poem that depicts it, it is also indicated that his father is a soldier.
Ferdinand Marcos is the Apo in the poem, if we're going to study it. He was the Philippines' former president. The poem is about Marcos' leadership of the Philippines. Martial law is in effect at the moment. We might determine that the Martial is truly present by reading and comprehending the poem. "There was no room for a boy, only for men," meaning that there is no space for weak people, only for powerful people. Children are not allowed to fight because they lack the strength or knowledge to do so, which is why only males are permitted to combat in the Philippines during martial law. Ferdinand Marcos was regarded as a tyrant because he had complete authority over the country. " I know, I know what you're doing," Marcos says, implying that he is well aware of the situation. He's an expert in everything. According to certain texts, Filipinos do not have independence and are under constant control. We also assumed that the author wrote this poem to teach today's children.
REFERENCES
The references used in this research paper contain legitimate information from the module hand-outs used by the students and from the internet; however, some parts are mixed up with these informations and the opinions of the authors of this group.
Book/s
Badoy, Merzi A. (2020). 21st Century Literature From Philippines and the World. SJA Publishing House: San Jose, Batangas.
Online Sources
Philippines - The early republic. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/The-early-republic.
Ferdinand Marcos | Biography, President, Wife, & Facts. (2021, September 24). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdinand-E-Marcos.
Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 19). Ferdinand Marcos’s cult of personality. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos%27s_cult_of_personality.
Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 11). Philippine mythology. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_mythology.
C., & C. (2019, July 11). The Legend of Claveria’s Apo Lakay-Lakay. Czummsblogs. https://philippinefolklores909101805.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/the-legend-of-claverias-apo-lakay-lakay/#:%7E:text=In%20the%20Ilocano%20language%2C%20%E2%80%9Clakay,love%20their%20son%20so%20dearly.
I. (2020, September 10). APO ON THE WALL - Ianjamesharvey. Medium. https://medium.com/@ianjamesharvey2002/apo-on-the-wall-d59511f231d6.
