“APO ON THE

WALL”
BY: BJ PATINO
 AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND
• NAME: BJ PATINO

• BORN: March 9,1927

• DIED: July 15,1988 At 61years old

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 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT
THE POEM
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 called “Apo”. The poem tells the reality of life during the
reigning of Marcos alongside with the Martial Law. It is a reflection of the
scenario of what and how the Filipinos experienced the tragic and traumatic
event throughout the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.
“Apo on the wall” shows the real situation concerning with the different
perspective between millennial and those who lived through Martial law.
This masterpiece of Bj Patino 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.
UNLOCKING
DIFFICULTIES
 VOCABULARY WORDS
• 1. Breast Plate - A piece of armor covering the chest.

• 2. Apo - Away from.

• 3. Snappy - Irritable and inclined to speak sharply; snappish.

4. Sneaking - ( Of a feeling) persistent in one's mind but reluctantly held or not fully recognized; nagging.

5. Plaques - an ornamental tablet, typically of metal, porcelain, or wood, that is fixed to a wall or other
surface in commemoration of a person or event.
•
“ APO ON THE WALL”
1) There’s this man’s photo on the wall
2) Of my father’s office at home, you
3) Know, where father brings his work,
4) Where he doesn’t look strange
5) Still wearing his green uniform
6) And colored breast plates, where,
7) To prove that he works hard, he
8) Also brought a photo of his boss
9) Whom he calls Apo, so Apo could
10) You know, hang around on the wall
11) Behind him and look over his shoulders
12) To make sure he’s snappy and all.
13.Father snapped at me once, caught me
14.Sneaking around his office at home
15.Looking at the stuff on his wall- handguns,
16.Plaques, a sword, medals a rifle-
17.Told me that was no place for a boy
18.Only men, when he didn’t really
19.Have to tell me because, you know,
20.That photo of Apo on the wall was already
21.Looking at me around,
22.His eyes following me like he was
23.That scary Jesus in the hallway, saying
24.I know what you’re doing.
 REFLECTION
The poem entitled Apo on the Wall by BJ Patino is a good poem because it
symbolizes the loyalty of every soldier. The time in that poem was during
Martial Law and the Apo that the narrator was referring to was the late
Ferdinand Marcos. This poem is trying to tell us that if we work hard, we can
achieve rewards from our efforts like the persona’s father in the poem, who
achieved plaques and medals for being a loyal soldier. It also depicts the
Marcos administration that everyone was alarmed and become snappy
because of their fear of the soldiers during Martial Law.
In the poem, there is a line that says “that was no place for a boy, only men”,
meaning there’s no place for weak people, only the brave ones. There is also a
line that says, “I know, I know what you’re doing”, meaning that the persona’s
father must keep on doing his job because that photo on the wall was Apo who
was like looking at the persona’s father guiding him. I really appreciate the help
of Filipino people who’s against the Martial Law because they give us freedom
until the present. During that time too, the people had experienced sacrifices.
 “QUIZ”
1. What is the title of poem
2. Who is the author of the poem?
3. What doed the poem symbolizes?
4. Who is the apo that referrring of the narrator?