Rene Baterbonia never got to wear the Ateneo Blue Eagles jersey he dreamed of. Just four days after his high school coach dropped him off at the Ateneo de Manila campus in Katipunan, Quezon City, the 18-year-old basketball star drowned during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8. He died alongside his Nigerian teammate Divine Adili.

Baterbonia was supposed to be the first in his family to make it big. The son of fish vendors and the second oldest of seven siblings, he grew up in Talocogon, Agusan del Sur, where his family relied on the government's 4Ps program for the poorest households. He was a 4Ps Monitored Child and Student Athlete.

"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," his mother Rovelyn said through tears at his wake.

Basketball came late to Baterbonia. He only started playing at 15 during the pandemic, but the game came naturally. At 6-foot-4, he punished the rim with signature two-handed dunks and quickly dominated inter-municipality meets in Agusan del Sur. Schools across Mindanao lined up to recruit him.

He chose Ateneo de Davao University, where his commitment also guaranteed a scholarship for his younger brother Rhenz. His coach there, Jess Evangelio, said: "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."

At 17, Baterbonia burst onto the national scene by leading Davao Region to the secondary boys' basketball gold at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte. He dropped 19 points in the 67-51 final win over Western Visayas and earned tournament MVP honors.

He also brought gold for the Philippines at the 2025 ASEAN School Games in Brunei, scoring 21 points in a tight 90-86 win over Malaysia in the championship game. His other accolades included an All-Star selection and Best Defensive Player award in the 2026 National Basketball Training Center League.

Baterbonia believed his hard work would carry him to the PBA and beyond. "Just keep working hard. Always make it your goal to be champions," he once said. "Don't slack off. Keep practicing if you want to be champions. Championships are earned, not given."

His mother recalled his promise: "He told me, 'If I make it to the UAAP, I'll give you a UAAP MVP award.' 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."

Dozens of people, many who never knew him personally, came to pay respects at his public viewing at Ateneo de Davao Senior High School in Davao City. Baterbonia represented hope for many — a boy from a poor family who almost made it.