LOOK: Student-athlete Rene Baterbonia's tomb was filled with flowers as people remembered him a month after his death.
Baterbonia and teammate Divine Adili drowned during an Ateneo Blue Eagles "team-building" in Dipaculao, Aurora. | via @HernelTocmo
Read: https://t.co/MeleN2gAti
kaila and magui at the rimowa launch dinner tonight 🥺🥹
i know they've surely gone on a lot of hangouts we haven't seen so this work event is just one of the many times they're together - pero it's cause of this, too, kaya ang saya saya ko for you, dj 🥺😭
omo totoo talaga toh grabe ang consistency nitong dalawa di tulad ng ibang hms na for clout lang talaga ang iba(hindi ko nilalahat hah)pero makikita mo talaga kung sino ang nagpakatotoo at mga dumikit lang sa kung sino ang mga mas sikat sa batch nila.
#Lelquin
✨QUIET MUTUAL LOVE✨
Reading through all the comments made me realize why the promposal affected me so much. It wasn’t because Joaquin booked an entire cinema. It wasn’t because it was grand (expensive.) It was because behind that moment was a story that had been quietly unfolding for a long time.
People see the flowers, the surprises, the big gestures. But what I see is everything that came before it.
I see a woman who stayed.
A woman who continued showing up, even in moments when it would’ve been easier to walk away. A woman who remained by his side, believed in him, cared for him, and never stopped being there when it mattered most.
And I see a man who never failed to notice that.
Because the truth is, love isn’t always found in the loudest moments. Sometimes, it’s found in the person who stays when everyone else leaves. The person who chooses you when things are difficult. The person who quietly becomes your safe place without asking for recognition.
That’s why it has never felt one-sided. The love, care, and support have always been mutual. Maybe expressed differently. Maybe shown in ways that not everyone notices. But it was always there.
Looking back at everything they’ve gone through together, I suddenly understood why the promposal felt so emotional. It wasn’t just Joaquin asking someone to prom. It felt like a culmination of every little moment that led them here. Every act of support. Every silent understanding. Every time they stood beside each other when life wasn’t easy.
It reminded me that some of the strongest relationships aren’t built in the spotlight. They’re built in the quiet moments. In the consistency. In the effort. In the decision to keep choosing the same person every single day.
And maybe that’s why the moment feels so deserved.
Because when you’ve witnessed two people continuously become each other’s strength, seeing one of them go above and beyond to make the other feel special doesn’t feel surprising at all.
It feels earned.
It feels like the natural result of years of choosing, supporting, understanding, and loving each other in ways that words often fail to capture.
So when Joaquin said, “the one who loves always wins,” I finally understood what he meant.
Because winning was never about grand gestures.
It was about staying.
It was about caring.
It was about choosing the same person through every season of life.
And after everything they’ve been through, seeing them reach this moment feels less like a promposal and more like a beautiful reminder that genuine love (quiet, patient, unwavering love) always finds its way back to the surface.
Looking at them now, it’s hard not to believe that’s true. Because in the end, love wasn’t proven through words alone—it was proven through every time they chose each other, over and over again. 💜✨🥹
#LelQuin | #JoaquinArce | #LellaFord
“Mami-miss ko ang pagtawag niya sa akin ng ‘Pa’.”
Labis na mami-miss ni Rene Baterbonia Sr. ang kanyang anak na si Rene Clert, lalo na ang simpleng pagtawag nito sa kanya ng “Pa” at ang pagiging mapagbigay nito, na madalas siyang binibilhan ng mga bagay kahit hindi naman niya kailangan.
"Ang dami kong mami-miss sa kanya. 'Yong uuwi siya na maraming maghahanap sa kanya. Halos hindi siya makatambay sa bahay kasi ang daming magyayaya. Tapos, mami-miss ko rin ang pagtawag niya sa akin ng ‘Pa.’ Wala nang tatawag sa akin nang ganoon mula kay Bobet. At minsan may mga bagay na gusto niyang bilhin para sa akin, tapos di ko naman gusto, di naman importante sa akin. Bibilhin talaga niya." | via @HernelTocmo
nagbebenta pala sina rene before ng keychain online, so during sa livestream ng mama nya some viewiers mocked the items pala saying, the printed images looked blurry.
sabi ni rene sa mama nya, "okay lang yan ma, next time bibili din tayo ng sariling printer para di na blurry"💔
Siya talaga sandigan ng mama niya ano. Nag titinda ng isda ang mama niya. Look at him helping her, kahit busy sa paglalaro. @ateneodemanilau you took him away from his family. #JusticeForRene#JusticeForDivine
RENE BATERBONIA EFFECT 🤍
one thing this heartbreaking situation taught me is that life is far more fragile than we think.
be kind. ALWAYS. it costs absolutely NOTHING, yet it can mean EVERYTHING.
keep chasing your dreams. you don’t need a powerful background, connections, or have people opening doors for you. hard work, determination, faith, and a good heart can take you places you never imagined.
and if life ever puts you on top, stay grounded. don’t get so caught up in the noise, the praise, or the attention that you forget the people who loved you before any of it. at the end of the day, family will always matter more than fame.
life is too short to waste on pride, grudges, and unnecessary anger. say sorry when you need to. forgive when you can. tell people you love them while you still have the chance. make memories. BE PRESENT.
every time you wake up, that’s already something to be grateful for. thank the Lord for another day, another chance, another moment to love the people around you a little better.
because the truth is, none of us know how much time we have left.
so live with kindness. lead with humility. love your people a little louder. appreciate the ordinary moments. and never wait for a tragedy to remind you what truly matters.
if there’s one thing RENE left behind...
it’s this: your achievements may inspire people, but your character is what they’ll remember long after you’re gone.
some people leave trophies.
some leave lessons.
you left both a LEGACY and a LESSON.
rest peacefully, bobet. 🙏🏻🕊️🤍
everytime i see anything about him, everything hurts. i never knew him prior to this but i keep remembering the fact that he was in manila only less than a week and then his family had to bring his lifeless body home.
this hurts as a stranger but thinking how it's possible to live with their death if you're someone close to him or divine. like if you're their family. my goodness.
it must be a bittersweet moment for rene’s parents and family, seeing this huge amount of support and love from everyone, alam kong masaya sila kasi alam nilang may iniwan na legacy ang anak nila :((