Rene Baterbonia chased dreams not only for himself but his family

When Rene Baterbonia led Davao Region to a historic secondary boys’ basketball gold medal in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, he shared that he simply relied on his own efforts.

Baterbonia, the son of fish vendors and the second oldest of seven siblings, didn’t need any more motivation as he saw basketball as a way to give his family a better life.

The pride of Talocogon, Agusan del Sur, who was fondly called “Bobet” by his friends and family, was a 4Ps Monitored Child and Student Athlete, a beneficiary of the government program that helps the country’s poorest households.

Baterbonia had a clear goal, so he endured being away from home when he got recruited by Ateneo de Davao University to play for its high school team — a stint that ultimately led him to Ateneo de Manila University. 

“Ever since, Ateneo de Manila was his dream school. Even though he received a lot of offers, it was his decision to move to Ateneo de Manila,” said Jess Evangelio, Baterbonia’s coach at Ateneo de Davao. 

The 18-year-old, however, never got to suit up for the Blue Eagles. On the tragic afternoon of June 8, he and Nigerian teammate Divine Adili died from drowning during Ateneo’s team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.

Baterbonia’s death came so sudden, coming just a few days after his high school coach dropped him off at the Ateneo de Manila campus in Katipunan, Quezon City, on June 4.

“He was a boy from a poor background who simply dreamed. He dreamed not only for himself but for us as well. All of that is now gone,” Baterbonia’s mother Rovelyn said through tears during her son’s wake.

The tragedy cut short a promising career that ended even before it fully took off. 

Baterbonia began playing basketball at the age of 15 as he took up the sport only during the pandemic, yet the game came naturally to him. 

It did not take long for Baterbonia, a 6-foot-4 forward who punished the rim with his signature two-handed dunks, to dominate an inter-municipality meet in Agusan del Sur, that eventually saw schools all over Mindanao lining up to recruit him.

Baterbonia attended the Ananda Marga Special Academic Institution in Davao City before he joined Ateneo de Davao, choosing to play for the Blue Knights as his commitment also guaranteed a scholarship for his younger brother Rhenz. 

At 17, Baterbonia burst onto the national scene as he powered Davao Region to a championship in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte, earning him the tournament Most Valuable Player honors following a 19-point performance in a 67-51 victory over Western Visayas in the finale. 

Baterbonia also brought honor to the Philippines as the basketball team represented mostly by players from Ateneo de Davao captured the gold medal in the 2025 ASEAN School Games in Brunei. He finished with 21 points in a narrow 90-86 win over Malaysia in the championship game. 

His other accolades include an All-Star selection and a Best Defensive Player award in the 2026 National Basketball Training Center League, a tournament that features the best high school players in the country. 

Baterbonia, already gifted with height, talent, and natural grit, still always made sure to put in the work. 

“Just keep working hard. Always make it your goal to be champions,” said Baterbonia, when asked what his message was to aspiring basketball players. “Don’t slack off. Keep practicing if you want to be champions. Championships are earned, not given.” 

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And Baterbonia believed his persistence would carry him to the PBA, and perhaps, even beyond that. 

“Of course, I want to become a professional basketball player. That’s every basketball player’s dream,” Baterbonia said. 

But more than a player who will never get a chance to fulfill his potential, what lingers is that a son and a brother will no longer be able to live out the dreams he nurtured for his family.

“He told me, ‘If I make to the UAAP, I’ll give you a UAAP MVP award,’” Rovelyn recalled her son saying. “Or if he reached the PBA, he said he’d give me a PBA MVP award. That was his dream — to make a name for himself, which was something his father never got to do.”

“His father was also a basketball player, but life was difficult… So [Rene] said, ‘I’ll make it happen. I’ll be the one to make a big name for our family,’” Rovelyn said. “That’s why when I learned that he was gone, I couldn’t accept it. Why?” 

It was not just Baterbonia’s family and friends whose lives he touched, as droves of people — many of whom may not have known him personally — came to pay their respects at his public viewing held inside the Ateneo de Davao Senior High School in Davao City.

Baterbonia, after all, represented the good in people — someone who came from humble beginnings, complemented his talent with tireless effort, and fought for a dream bigger than himself.

It’s the reason Baterbonia’s tragic death cuts so deep for everyone close to him like Evangelio: “He wasn’t just good at basketball, he was also a good person.” – Rappler.com