This is how much the Apo Hiking Society received for their first paid gig back in the '70s

The Apo Hiking Society is one of the most enduring OPM acts today. They've contributed so much to Philippine music, it's safe to say they can command quite the price for shows and concerts.

But for their very first paying gig, all they got was a very cute P75.

"Anim [pa] kami nun," Jim Paredes said in an episode of "Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel."

Their first-ever paid gig was for the Philippine Pest Control Association, and ironically, it took place after their 1973 farewell show.

"After college, 1973, we had a farewell concert to say goodbye to all our friends, Apo was breaking up," Boboy Garovillo narrates, adding they were all ready to pursue their own careers.

He was going to farm in Negros, Jim was going to an exchange study program in Europe, Danny Javier was already with a network, and a fourth member, Lito de Joya had already established an ad agency.

"So the four of us were splitting up and we decided to have a farewell concert to say goodbye to all our friends from different schools. That was on July 15 and 16 in 1973," Boboy continued.

But the concert turned out to be a massive success. "It was jam-packed, and it was storming," Jim recalled.

"That was the end and the start of us," Jim added.

"We got into the mainstream," Boboy piped in.

In the same interview, Jim and Boboy shared a few more trivia bits about the beloved band, including why they started singing ("to meet the girls," Jim said), How "Pumapatak ang Ulan" was written on a napkin, and how "Ewan" and "Anna" were written by Louie Ocampo.

Apo Hiking Society is set to have a two-night concert in July for their 50th anniversary. 

Unfortunately, Danny Javier passed away in October 2022. He was 75 years old. — LA, GMA Integrated News