MANILA, Philippines – For Rene Clert Baterbonia, basketball was never just about winning games but about building a better future for the family he loved.
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| Rene Baterbonia dreamed of lifting his family out of poverty through basketball, a promise left unfinished after a tragic drowning incident. |
The 19-year-old rising star carried that dream with him when he left Mindanao and flew to Manila on June 4 to begin a new chapter with Ateneo de Manila University.
It was a journey filled with hope for a young man who had worked tirelessly to rise from humble beginnings in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur.
A product of Ateneo de Davao and Talacogon National High School, Rene established himself as one of the country's brightest young prospects through hard work, discipline, and determination.
He led the Davao Region to the boys' basketball gold medal in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte and earned Most Valuable Player honors along the way.
He also helped Davao Region reach the finals of the 2026 Palarong Pambansa, bringing pride not only to his team but to the entire Mindanao region.
Those achievements earned him a place in Ateneo's basketball program, where he was expected to make his UAAP debut in Season 89 later this year.
Yet less than a week after arriving in Manila, Rene's promising future was tragically cut short during a drowning incident at a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.
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As the nation mourned, the grief of a mother searching for answers revealed the human cost behind the headlines.
"My child is not a soldier; basketball training should be on the court, not in the sea," his mother, Rovelyn Baterbonia, wrote in a Facebook post.
In another emotional message, she questioned why the family had not been informed about the nature of the activity, saying, "Kung sinabi lang nila sa amin na may ganoong training ang anak ko, hindi ako papayag. Hindi nila sinabi sa amin na may ganoon pala. Nasaan na ba ang anak ko ngayon?"
The heartbreak was made even more painful by a prayer she had shared only hours earlier after the Mindanao earthquake, asking God to keep her children in Manila, Davao, and General Santos safe.
For Coach Jess Evangelio, who guided Rene throughout his high school years in Davao, the loss was that of a son as much as a player.
Before leaving for Manila, Rene shared with his mentor the dream that had fueled every sacrifice he had made.
"Coach, hindi muna ako babalik sa Davao ng mga limang taon kasi gusto ko munang yumaman at iahon ang aking pamilya sa kahirapan," he told Coach Jess.
Those words now stand as Rene's last promise, revealing that behind every rebound, every victory, and every milestone was a young man determined to give his family a life better than the one he had known.
Today, as his loved ones prepare to bring him home, the country remembers not only a basketball player with immense potential but a son whose greatest dream was to lift his family out of poverty.
— The Summit Express
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