Hoops of hope: 4Ps beneficiary Rene Baterbonia’s story
By Niña Jonalyn B. Gambe-Diamante
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — Growing up in the vast peatlands of Agusan Marsh in the province of Agusan del Sur, Rene Clert ‘Bobet’ Baterbonia carried a dream beyond the horizon that surrounded his childhood. As a young beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), he longed to lift his family out of poverty and give them a life of dignity and hope.
What began as simple afternoons dribbling a worn-out basketball soon became a burning passion – a promise to himself that the sport he loved would one day become the very tool to change not only his destiny, but also the lives of the people he cherished most.
Rene was a monitored child under the 4Ps from kindergarten up until he finished junior high school. His family in a modest home in San Nicolas, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, where his father worked as a tricycle driver and his mother, Rovelyn, juggled the responsibilities of helping the family earn through small-scale fruit vending while also caring for the family.
A family of nine, the Baterbonias struggled for sustenance, on top of the expenses of sending seven children to school. In 2009, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) 4Ps came as a ray of hope for the family.
“Despite the challenges and hardships faced by his [Rene] family, he consistently fulfilled the education conditionalities of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), demonstrating perseverance, discipline, and commitment to his studies,” said Andrew Philip Sur, information officer of DSWD-4Ps Caraga.
By September 2024, the Baterbonia household’s Social Welfare and Development Indicators assessment revealed something far greater than numbers on a chart—it reflected a family slowly rising above hardship. Their level of well‑being had shown remarkable improvement, a testament to resilience born of love and sacrifice.
In 2025, Rovelyn made a courageous choice. She set aside her fruit vending, not because it was unimportant, but because her son carried a dream too big to ignore. She shifted her focus to their fish vending livelihood, a steadier source of income, while Rene poured his heart into basketball as a scholar‑athlete at Ateneo de Davao University. It was a partnership of hope: the parents’ hands sustaining the family, and a son’s talent opening doors to a brighter future.
By January 2025, the family reached a milestone that once seemed impossible. They were officially tagged as CS 3 – Graduated, no longer dependent on program assistance. Their combined efforts—Rovelyn and her husband’s fish and fruit vending, and the latter’s tricycle driving—wove together a modest but stable livelihood. They were not wealthy, but they had proven their ability to stand on their own, sustained by grit, unity, and unwavering faith in each other.
Before he ever stepped onto the national stage, Rene was already a towering figure in his hometown. At 6-foot-4, he wasn’t just admired for his height or his skill, but for the way he carried himself with humility and heart. In Agusan del Sur’s Governor’s Cup, his early dominance and MVP performances turned him into a local hero, a young man whose every shot and rebound seemed to carry the hopes of his community.
That hometown pride became the foundation for something historic. In 2025, Rene brought his fire to the national level, joining forces with fellow standout Macky Pelegrino. Together, they led the Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) on a run that would be remembered for generations. Against all odds, they defeated Western Visayas to secure the region’s first-ever Palarong Pambansa (national games) basketball gold medal. Rene’s brilliance shone brightest—earning him MVP honors and a place on the ‘Mythical Five,’ a recognition that validated not just his talent, but his relentless drive.
In May 2026, Rene once again carried DAVRAA on his shoulders, guiding the team to a second-place finish in the Secondary Basketball Boys division at the ‘Palaro Tu AgSur’—the 66th edition of the Palarong Pambansa, which was historically held -in his hometown, Agusan del Sur. Though they fell short of gold, his leadership and determination proved why he was destined for the next chapter of his journey: suiting up for Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP.
Government assistance, when rooted in compassion and vision, can become the spark that fuels the dreams of young Filipinos across the country. Rene Baterbonia’s journey is proof of this: from a household once provided with aid to a scholar-athlete who carried his community’s pride onto the national stage. His story reminds us that when government assistance meets determination and love, it can transform lives, nurture talent, and light the path for countless other dreamers who only need a ray of hope to rise. (NJGD, PIA Caraga with a report from DSWD-4Ps Caraga / Photo courtesy of Rene Baterbonia’s Facebook page)
