Ateneo de Davao Basketball Team Pays Tribute to Rene Clert Baterbonia

Ateneo de Davao Basketball Community Mourns One of Their Own

Ateneo de Davao basketball head coach Jess Evangelio, along with players Matt Cayetano and Macky Peligrino, traveled to Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, to pay their respects to Rene Clert Baterbonia on the final evening of his wake. The gathering at the Talacogon gym brought together those who knew Baterbonia, as the basketball community came to honor his memory in person.

The presence of the coaching staff and players underscored the personal connection the Ateneo de Davao program had with Baterbonia. Rather than simply sending condolences from a distance, Evangelio and his players made the trip to Agusan del Sur to stand with the family and community during one of the most difficult moments of their loss.

A Message of Remembrance at the Talacogon Gym

During the final night of the wake, held inside the Talacogon gym, Coach Evangelio, Cayetano, and Peligrino each shared messages of remembrance. The setting, a gymnasium, carried its own quiet symbolism for a group whose lives and relationships are built around the sport of basketball.

The occasion was reported via Facebook by Hernel T., whose post brought wider attention to the tribute paid by the Ateneo de Davao contingent. Details of what was specifically said during the remembrance were not disclosed in available reports, but the act of showing up, of being physically present at the wake, spoke to the depth of the relationship between Baterbonia and those connected to the Ateneo de Davao basketball program.

Basketball as a Bond Beyond the Court

Moments like these reflect how tightly knit the basketball community in Mindanao can be. Programs like Ateneo de Davao do not only build teams, they build relationships that extend well beyond game days and practice sessions. When a member of that extended community passes, the response from coaches and players illustrates those bonds clearly.

Cayetano and Peligrino, as active players under Evangelio's program, represent a younger generation within the Ateneo de Davao basketball family. Their participation in the tribute alongside their head coach points to a culture of respect and remembrance that the program appears to instill in its athletes.

Rene Clert Baterbonia's passing prompted a visible outpouring from those connected to Ateneo de Davao basketball, and the final night of his wake in Agusan del Sur became a moment of collective grief and respect for a life that clearly touched the sport's community in the region.