Baterbonia was a promising young athlete who rose from the Ateneo de Davao Senior High varsity and represented Davao in the national competitions.

He was recently recruited by the Blue Eagles basketball team of Ateneo de Manila University, but was among two athletes who drowned during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.

Divine Adili, 21, a Nigerian who played for the Blue Eagles last season, was the other fatality. 

AdMU released a statement that day confirming their deaths, describing it as a drowning incident.

But Baterbonia’s family, along with the public, want deeper explanations.

Unanswered questions

Baterbonia’s parents arrived in Manila on Tuesday, and in a press conference after seeing her son’s body in Arlington Memorial, Rene’s mother Rovelyn said there are still unanswered questions.

“Hindi na mabubuhay ang anak ko sa sorry niyo, (Apologies cannot bring back my son),” she said during her talk with the assistant coaches from AdMU. “Bigyan niyo lang ako ng clear na explanation na sa sarili ko matanggap ko na aksidente lang talaga, (Just give me a clear explanation that I can accept that what happened was an accident)” she told reporters.

She expressed frustration over what she described as gaps in communication following the tragedy.  She told reporters she only received messages from AdMU’s assistant coaches only once informing her that Rene died.

“Ni isa sa kanila wala nagpadala ng picture (Not one of them sent me a photo).” 

She also asked why there are bruises found in Rene’s upper body, which would be subject to an autopsy.

Earlier, Rovelyn questioned why the training happened in Dipaculao, an issue that spurred discussions online. 

Sports fans replayed past interviews online where three former Blue Eagles’ players describe some kind of “boot camp” training in Dipaculao where they conducted activities on the beach.  One of the varsity players nearly drowned as he was not a swimmer and was rescued by coach Tab Baldwin.

The Aurora Police Provincial Office presented their initial findings and said four athletes were reportedly carried away by strong currents during their activity at 2:30 pm of June 8.  Two were immediately rescued but Baterbonia and Adili went missing for several minutes.

Police have secured a video recording from the resort where the team-building activity took place and will examine the footage relevant for further investigation.

Reviews 

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will convene a review with stakeholders including Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, National Youth Commission, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

PSC Chair Patrick Gregorio clarified that the panel is not a criminal investigative body and will not duplicate the work of law enforcement agencies.

“Our role is to understand what happened and to understand how and to agree that this should not happen again,” Gregorio said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The panel said it intends to review existing policies governing off-campus sports activities, coaching standards, athlete safety protocols, and emergency response measures.

Gregorio said descriptions of the training activity that have circulated publicly did not appear to align with existing standards enforced by sports governing bodies.

UAAP Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag added that it is up to ADMU on what measures they will take on their coach and team prior to the opening of UAAP Season 89.

Ateneans react

But the deaths of Baterbonia and Adili weigh heavy on the Ateneo community, as some raised questions on how the Blue Eagles will face the UAAP tournament.

The Buklod Atenista, the consortium of the five student governments of the Ateneo universities,  released a statement calling for accountability and transparency from the AdMU administration on this incident.

“In moments such as these, institutions often call for patience while withholding crucial details from the very communities they are accountable to.  This is one of those moments,” the statement said.

“The Ateneo de Manila University cannot ask the community to place its trust in institutional processes while simultaneously withholding the information necessary for that trust to be earned.  The question before the community is not simply what happened. The question is whether this tragedy could have been prevented,” the consortium added.

Wake in Davao

Baterbonia’s former coach Jess Evangelio, who joined his parents in Manila, announced that Baterbonia’s remains would be brought to Ateneo de Davao Senior High School on June 12, during his wake, allowing friends, classmates, teachers, teammates, and supporters to pay their final respects.

“Rene touched so many lives through his kindness, hard work, and love for the game,” Evangelio said in a Facebook post.

Adili, meanwhile, will be flown to Nigeria as per his family’s request.

Baterbonia hailed from Talacogon, Agusan del Sur and with a towering height at 6’4″, was among the young basketball prospects recruited to study for Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School and play for its varsity the Ateneo Blue Knights.

He later emerged as Davao Region’s top young athlete during the Palarong Pambansa, leading Davao to its first basketball title in 2025 and earning the Most Valuable Player award.

He also was part of the Philippine Boys Team in the 14th ASEAN Schools Game 2025 in Brunei, scoring 21 points against Malaysia to secure the country’s gold medal.

After graduating from ADDU Senior High, Baterbonia had just arrived in ADMU on June 4, preparing for his collegiate playing career.  His coach and parents shared that his dream was to earn the MVP in the UAAP and one day play in the Philippine Basketball Association.(davaotoday.com)

The 23-year-old transgender woman said she was directed to use the men’s restroom instead.

“When I tried to explain my gender identity, she called a supervisor on her radio,” Escleto recalled.

Rather than continue the confrontation, she left the mall entirely and searched for another restroom elsewhere.

Escleto said this experience was not unusual. Despite the visibility of Pride celebrations in Davao City and the existence of a local Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, she said many LGBTQ+ people continue to encounter subtle forms of exclusion in their daily lives.

“Discrimination often shows up as microaggressions or unspoken biases,” she said.

Another transgender woman in Davao, Sam Montejo, shared a similar experience.

Montejo, executive director of PrideFest 2026, a month-long Pride initiative led by student organizations and LGBTQ+ advocates in Davao City, said many members of the community continue to face barriers in accessing public spaces comfortably and safely.

“The problem is people say, ‘Use the gender-neutral bathroom,’ but they don’t realize those bathrooms aren’t always available or accessible,” Montejo said.

She said that the issue affects not only transgender women but also transgender men, masculine-presenting lesbians, and feminine-presenting gay men who are often scrutinized in gender-segregated spaces.

This June, rainbow flags, Pride marches, and LGBTQ+ community events are expected to make their way back to Davao City once again.

In recent years, the city has grown increasingly supportive of Pride celebrations. 

In 2024, Davao City’s government, through its City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), officially hosted its first institutional Pride Parade. The parade was integrated as a main feature of the newly established, city-funded Duaw Davao Festival.

Yet even as Pride grows more visible in the city, LGBTQ+ Dabawenyos do not necessarily agree on what Pride should represent—or how it should be expressed.

More visible now

LGBTQ+ visibility in Davao has expanded significantly, yet the community remains divided on what that progress means.

“There is definitely a noticeable shift… We see more LGBTQ individuals openly participating in local culture, business, and daily life without hiding,” Escleto said.

She pointed to the growth of student organizations, queer-friendly establishments, and online representation as signs that isolation is fading.

Matte, a 25-year-old gay Dabawenyo, confirmed similar changes. “Everywhere I go, I experience acceptance more than anything now,” he said.

While Matte occasionally encounters discrimination often from older generations with traditional mindsets, he said, “People are more accepting… if we compare it to decades ago, there’s definitely more space for LGBTQ+ people to exist freely.”

However, increased visibility hasn’t eliminated everyday challenges. 

For Escleto, discrimination now manifests less through outright hostility and more through subtle exclusion. 

Despite Davao’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, she still faces stares while commuting and feels cautious in government offices and commercial spaces for fear of being misgendered.

“The implementation fails because there is no strict enforcement or accessible grievance procedure,” Escleto said. “People have no fast, practical way to report daily discrimination without navigating tedious legal processes.”

She argues that without mandatory SOGIESC training across institutions, the ordinance risks becoming obsolete. 

“Acceptance is an everyday reality, not just a written law,” she said. “Otherwise, it becomes just a piece of paper rather than active protection.”

Pride as protest

This renewed visibility has also sparked debate over what Pride itself represents. 

For some, it is primarily a celebration of identity; for others, it remains inextricably linked to the political struggles that birthed the movement.

Escleto firmly aligns with the latter. 

“As long as we are still fighting for basic rights, legal recognition, and protection against discrimination, celebrating our existence is a political act,” she said. 

“I always associate Pride with survival and authenticity. We celebrate who we are, but existing openly as a trans woman is a victory on its own.”

Matte shares this perspective: “Pride is rooted in the fight for basic human rights that LGBTQ+ people are still often denied,” he said. “We’re not asking for anything excessive. We’re asking for things that should already be guaranteed to us.”

These discussions have intensified following recent remarks by Willenito Tormis Jr., head of the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO). While acknowledging that participants in this year’s Duaw Davao Pride Parade are welcome to express concerns, Tormis discouraged turning the event into a “political” spectacle.

“Pride Parade is a protest mao na ginaingon sa atoang LGBTQIA+ community, but we want to protest in a way pud na they know unsa pud gyud atoang gi-protest, the rights of the LGBTQIA+,” Tormis said.

(“The Pride Parade is a protest, which is how our LGBTQIA+ community sees it, but we want to protest in a way where they also understand exactly what we are protesting: the rights of the LGBTQIA+.”)

Tormis’ statement mirrors restrictions from the 2024 parade, when organizers prohibited anti-government chants and certain slogans, signaling a tension between institutional oversight and the movement’s activist roots.

Debate not new

For Montejo, the CTOO’s statement was contradictory. 

“I was very mad. They acknowledge that Pride is a protest, but at the same time, they’re trying to define what kind of protest is acceptable.”

This tension is not new. 

In 2024, PrideFest helped organize AlterPride: The Real March, an alternative community-led mobilization that emerged alongside the city’s official celebrations to preserve Pride’s activist roots.

However, AlterPride was paused in 2025 as partner organizations underwent leadership transitions and reorganized priorities. Conversations about independent spaces never fully disappeared, though.

Now, PrideFest is set to join this year’s Duaw Davao Pride Parade while simultaneously exploring a separate community-led mobilization later in the month. Montejo emphasized that participating in the official event does not mean surrendering its political nature.

“Regardless of what they say, we will continue to make it political,” she said. 

“We plan to use the parade to distribute educational materials on SOGIESC issues and other concerns affecting marginalized communities.”

While plans for a second AlterPride-style march remain in flux, Montejo said the core objective remains unchanged: “The essence of Pride shouldn’t be dictated by the government. It should belong to the community and the people behind the movement.”(davaotoday.com)

OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo III confirmed the agency is validating 11 deaths in Region 12 and three in the Davao Region.

“These are initial reports we received, and we’re verifying these numbers through the management of dead and missing clusters. Regarding evacuated families, there are already 10,000 recorded,” Castillo said.

General Santos City, which is near the epicenter of the quake which is off its coast in Sarangani, was hit hardest. By 4 p.m., operations at General Santos Airport were restricted to government, military, and humanitarian flights, while all commercial services remained cancelled. Electricity and water are still slowly being restored in various areas as of 6 p.m. Monday.

Various structures collapsed in the city, including a building in the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University Basic Education unit in Lagao, and a building in Fitmart that housed a Jollibee fastfood and a transmitter for three radio stations under Manila Broadcasting Company.

Shaken

Residents across Mindanao, shaken by the quake that struck in the early hours, described the jolt as the strongest they have felt in recent memory.

The tremor occurred just as public schools opened for the 2026-2027 academic year, forcing the suspension of classes across all levels in several provinces as a precautionary measure against potential damage from ongoing aftershocks.

Video clips of panicked students in various places in Davao Region had been posted on social media. The collapse of a dilapidated building in Matanao National High School in Davao del Sur was captured on video of the school’s official page.

Sophia, 20, a student from Holy Cross of Davao College, recounted the panic as her family scampered out of their house, unsure of what to do. “The trauma of past earthquakes came flooding back,” she told Davao Today, admitting, “I was so scared.”

Jobert Fabiano, 19, a Matina resident and vendor, described rushing out of his home during the initial tremor, thinking it would subside. However, a subsequent aftershock sent him fleeing once more.

Despite the fear, he attempted to resume business. “I was nervous, but I continued to sell,” Fabiano said. “We hoped for more customers, but the streets were deserted; people had been ordered back home due to the quake.”

The ground shook

Cotabato writer and filmmaker Teng Mangansakan recounted his experience during the earthquake in a Facebook post, describing how he and fellow workshop participants felt the tremor while having breakfast on the ground floor of the hotel when the floor suddenly began to move. Chandeliers swayed, lights flickered, and the tremor steadily intensified.

“I could feel the walls awakening, as though some immense creature had stirred from a long sleep deep beneath the earth,” Mangansakan wrote. “Around the room, everyone struggled to maintain their composure.”

He said someone from a corner shouted “Allahu Akbar,” invoking the familiar words as both prayer and shield against the uncertainty unfolding around them.

“Antagal ng lindol” (The earthquake lasted a long time), observed Diandra, voicing the disbelief shared by all present.
As the shaking stretched time into something elastic, Mangansakan attempted jokes to steady his nerves. Then, as abruptly as it began, the earth settled. The chandeliers slowed to a stop. Conversations resumed in cautious fragments.

“Only after the tremors had passed did our phones vibrate in unison,” he said. “The SMS alert arrived belatedly, informing us of an earthquake as if we had not already felt the earth announce it in its own unmistakable language.”

Tectonic Trench Rupture

Dr. Marco Aurelio, writing for Rappler.com, attributed the earthquake to a rupture within the intricate network of tectonic trenches encircling Mindanao Island. He explained that while the region is bounded by three active subduction zones: the Sulu Trench to the west, the Philippine Trench to the east, and the arcuate Cotabato-Sangihe Trench system wrapping the south and southwest.

It was likely the northern segment of the Sangihe Trench or the southern portion of the Cotabato Trench that failed, generating the magnitude 7.8 tremor offshore General Santos City. Dr. Aurelio is a PhD professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines (UP NIGS).

Initial PHIVOLCS reports registered the earthquake at magnitude 7.0, while global networks recorded magnitudes between 8.0 and 8.2—more than 30 times more powerful in energy release. As additional data were collected, PHIVOLCS upgraded its estimate to 7.8 while global networks downgraded to match.

Both local and global networks subsequently revised focal depths from an initial shallow 10 kilometers to approximately 40 kilometers.

Seismological analysis notes that the energy released by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake is about 33 times greater than that of a magnitude 7.0 event. With the current magnitude estimate of 7.8, the earlier PHIVOLCS reading of 7.0 underestimated energy release by approximately 23 times, while the initial global reading of 8.1 overestimated it by roughly fivefold.

In a Monday morning press briefing, Winchelle Ian Sevilla, Chief of the Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division at PHIVOLCS, confirmed to reporters that the Cotabato Trench was responsible for the devastating 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami—the deadliest seismic event in Philippine history. That catastrophe claimed approximately 8,000 lives and left an estimated 90,000 people homeless across Mindanao, with significant property damage recorded in Cotabato and Zamboanga cities.

Sevilla urged residents in coastal areas, particularly those under tsunami alerts, to remain vigilant and strictly adhere to emergency protocols issued by their local disaster risk reduction and management offices (DRRMOs).

Tsunami warning lifted

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) cancelled the tsunami warning for Southern Mindanao at 3:19 p.m., confirming that observed waves were too small to cause damage following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake offshore Sarangani.

While monitoring stations recorded waves up to 1.48 meters in Kiamba, the agency declared the immediate threat over after two hours of observation.

“This will be the final tsunami information issued for this event,” PHIVOLCS stated, urging residents to stay alert for aftershocks and natural warning signs like sudden seawater retreat.

According to PHILVOCS, more than 150 aftershocks have been recorded as of 5 pm since shortly after the earthquake.(davaotoday.com)

The 48-year old mother originally from Bansalan, Davao del Sur, has two children enrolled at Rizal Elementary School in grades 2 and 6, and she listed down the budget for their school bags, notebooks, uniforms, shoes and other needs.

“Bags, notebooks, I went for not expensive bags because they cost P1,000 each, so I got affordable ones at P400.  A grade 6 student needs 10 notebooks? Then there are bond papers, and also construction papers. These are really need at school,” Lahoy-Lahoy said in Cebuano.

Giannina Pangandapan-Alcober, a public school teacher and mother of two who are enrolled at Malativas Elementary School, also estimates spending around P1,000 for each child.

But once she adds in new uniforms and shoes, she spends around P 5,000 for each child.

While public schools provide education at elementary and secondary levels at no costs, “free” education never means the absence of expenses, as parents shoulder costs long before the first lesson begins and after.

Daily allowances

Alcober and Lahoy-Lahoy said that aside from school supplies, the biggest expenses come from daily meals and transportation.

“Of course, we prepare the children’s snacks.  And then, in the middle of the year, their shoes might get worn out, or it is their bags.  They use up their notebooks from writing, and their pencils or ballpens.  Every now and then you have to refill their supplies,” said Alcober.

“Every week they spent P100 just for transportation.  That’s not including meals, which is P500 a week.  That’s P2,000 a month and there’s no absence for that,” said Lahoy-Lahoy.

Another mother, 31-year old Yra Gentapanan, from Cabantian, said spending for this has been difficult because of the rising costs every year which worsened this year with the West Asian oil crisis.

“Especially now, almost all prices went up, including the jeepney fares,” said Gentapanan.

Lahoy-Lahoy said this forces them to make difficult choices.

“We have to borrow money.  Sometimes instead of buying rice, we prioritize school projects especially when it is due at school,” Lahoy-Lahoy  said.

She said school activities create additional expenses.

“For instance, they make your child join the Mr. and Ms. United Nations, so you need to spend money on that.  Aside from the wardrobe you also need other things for the event,” she said.

Gentapanan said rewards for children in joining extracurricular activities have resulted in financial pressure.

“I think extracurricular activities are highly focused in schools today, wherein students get additional grades for participating, unlike in our days when this is optional and the focus is on academic performance. From uniforms, outfits and other expenses related to said events it’s all costly,” she said.

She also questioned why parents are still asked to shoulder some operational costs in public learning institutions.

“There are monthly dues for prep school which covers electricity and water supply for the day care center. I thought [the] government should shoulder that instead of the parents,” Gentapanan asked.

Filling the gaps

For Alcober who also teaches in a public school, she also has to spend for her students who face similar struggles.

“You need to shell out from your pockets. When you set activities, then your students could not afford to buy the materials you will have to provide,” she said.

She said in some cases, teachers also share school supplies and even meals with students  who arrive at school without the basic necessities needed for learning.

“You have students who have nothing, who come to schools without food.  You need to give effort, if you have something to share, why not?”

Community stepping in

Despite these problems, teachers and parents still step in to ensure their children get the best in these challenging conditions.

The yearly Brigada Eskwela, a volunteer-driven initiative that mobilizes parents, teachers, local organizations, and community members, finds everyone contributing to repair classrooms and even buy appliances.

“What happens is we always buy electric fans, because the rooms are humid and that’s hard for the kids,” said Lahoy-Lahoy.

The community support makes up for the shortage of government funding, but Gentapanan thinks the government has the money but it’s just spent in the wrong places.

“I think the government should not only focus on ayuda (cash assistance) for the low income families.  Instead, they should improve school amenities and systems, and support public schools with supplies so that they don’t need to ask parents to fill up what’s lacking.”

Alcober said students learn best when classrooms have adequate resources. 

“Students can’t focus if the classroom is not conducive.  If there’s no TV to view the lessons, if there’s no electric fan, no complete set of school supplies, if only all this can be provided so that the teachers would not be the one looking for these,” she said.

Such problems have been raised by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in the past years, pushing for an increased education budget to at least 5% of the country’s GDP to address shortages in classrooms, learning materials and infrastructure.

But for now, the parents and teachers grind for another year of shouldering the costs in a public school system that supposedly is free. (davaotoday.com)

Yet despite the Marcos Jr. administration’s touted ?1.35 trillion Department of Education budget—roughly 4.4% of Gross Domestic Product meant to center its education agenda—teachers say the funding falls short of solving the country’s deep-seated systemic crises.

A major chunk of the budget targets the country’s chronic classroom shortage: P85.3 billion allocated for construction and repair. This includes ?65 billion for 24,964 new classrooms and ?7.7 billion for rehabilitating existing buildings.

For teachers, however, it is not whether the budget is increasing, but whether these increases are enough to address the backlog of needs accumulated over the years. 

“The education budget is still lacking,” said ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, pointing to persistent shortages in teachers, classrooms, facilities, and learning materials. 

Tinio observed that despite rising education spending, enrollment and historical backlogs continue to outpace those gains. 

“Generally, the budget is increasing, but that does not tell the whole picture because every year enrollment is increasing and the historical backlogs are increasing,” Tinio said.

“The same cake”

For retired school head Elenito Escalante of Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS), adequate funding has always been essential to improving educational outcomes.

Escalante said that schools continue to struggle with teacher shortages, classroom deficits, inadequate equipment, and limited nutrition programs despite government allocations. He emphasized that greater investment in education would significantly strengthen support for both learners and educators.

These concerns remain familiar to teachers today.

ACT Davao president Reynaldo Pardillo used a simple analogy to describe the persistent situation: “the same cake” being divided differently despite changes in policies and programs. 

“We are eating the same cake,” he said, explaining that many core problems such as teacher shortages, insufficient support, and inadequate resources, continue to exist. 

The perennial teacher shortages remain one of the most pressing concerns raised by educators. Large class sizes persist across many public schools, with some classes exceeding ideal teacher-student ratios.

According to Tinio, the problem extends across all levels of education, from kindergarten to senior high school.

Out of pocket

Even with government programs meant to support educators, countless teachers continue covering classroom expenses out of pocket.

Though the 2025 annual teaching allowance increased to ?10,000 to offset material costs, Tinio noted educators still shoulder significant expenses. 

“Sometimes, even food for hungry students comes from them,” he said.

Pardillo echoed this, saying teachers cover costs for photocopying and maintenance due to insufficient resources. 

With public schools enforcing no-collection policies, many feel compelled to fill these gaps personally to ensure students are ready to learn.

New curriculum, new challenges

Starting School Year 2026–2027, DepEd will implement a three-term calendar and new assessment guidelines aligned with the revised K to 12 curriculum. The reforms aim to reduce assessment overload, strengthen foundational skills, and prioritize learner development over traditional examinations.

However, some teachers question whether schools are ready for this transition. 

Pardillo said that educators were attending four days of seminars just before classes began, leaving little time to prepare for implementation.

“We have our seminars for four days until Sunday, and by Monday we will already be teaching. So where is the preparedness of teachers?” he asked.

He added that many educators are expected to roll out the new curriculum without sufficient resources: “To be honest, we will go home lacking weapons. There are no learning materials, no curriculum guides, and no textbooks.”

For teachers, the concern lies not in the reform itself, but in the lack of preparation, training, and instructional materials needed to carry it out effectively.

Wage remains low

While much of the government’s proposed budget focuses on infrastructure, educators say educational challenges extend beyond new buildings alone.

The Department of Budget and Management’s spending plan allocates furniture for over 18,000 classrooms, funds electrification projects for more than 400 schools, and provides for over 300 new health and sanitation facilities. The proposal also includes rehabilitation of nearly 1,300 disaster-affected schools nationwide.

However, teachers maintain that physical infrastructure alone cannot address critical concerns regarding teacher welfare and learning quality.

Tinio said that teacher salaries remain significantly lower than those of other government professionals, including nurses, police officers, and military personnel. In response, the ACT Teachers Party-list has proposed raising the entry-level salary to ?50,000 per month and reducing class sizes to a maximum of 35 students.

The need for sufficient funding

As the new school year begins, educators continue to call for what they describe as sufficient, not merely larger, education funding.

“We need political will to make education a priority in the budget, but not just a priority as in the biggest budget. We need a sufficient budget to wipe out shortages of classrooms, textbooks, learning materials and resources,” Tinio said.

He emphasized that addressing these needs is a responsibility that Congress and the Senate must confront.

For Pardillo, the issue ultimately comes down to ensuring that teachers and students receive the support they need to succeed.

“If those are given, teachers and students will have a happy life, they will be motivated,” he said.

While government officials tout record investments in classrooms and school infrastructure, teachers on the ground say the success of the 2026 education budget will be measured not by the size of the allocation, but by whether it finally addresses the persistent shortages that continue to shape learning inside public schools. (davaotoday.com)