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The families and former coaches of Ateneo de Manila University athletes Rene Clert "Bobet" Baterbonia and Divine Adili shared heartfelt memories of the two young basketball players in an emotional feature on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.

Rene and Divine died in a drowning incident during a team-building activity for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Dipaculao, Aurora on June 8.

For those who knew Rene long before he became a collegiate athlete, he was a young man driven by a dream to lift his family out of poverty.

Jess Evangelio, one of Rene's former coaches in Davao, recalled their final conversation before the athlete left for Manila to study at Ateneo.

According to Jess, Rene told him he would not return home to Davao for five years unless he had already achieved financial success.

"Nung hinatid ko siya sa Ateneo de Manila, 'yung last conversation namin before kami maghiwalay, sabi niya, hindi raw siya muna uuwi ng Davao for five years, kung hindi siya yayaman, para maahon niya sa kahirapan ang kanyang pamilya," Jess said.

Rene's high school coach, Filomino Blancaflor Jr., said it was painful to lose someone they had supported and guided since he was still an unknown young athlete.

"Iningatan namin lahat, mula noong hindi pa siya kilala. 'Tapos, mawawala sa isang iglap. Parang nakakapanghinayang naman," he said.

The grief remains especially heavy for Rene's grandparents, Renato and Marilyn Plaza.

Wearing one of Rene's old basketball jerseys, Renato shared how deeply he mourns the loss of his grandson.

"Talagang basang-basa ito sa gabi sa luha. Talagang sayang si Rene," he said.

Pointing to the television where they used to watch Rene's basketball games, Renato added, "Inutang ko lang, kaso wala na, wala na akong mapapanood."

Marilyn, meanwhile, tearfully addressed her grandson.

"Bakit mo kami iniwan, Bet? Mahal ka namin, Bet," she said.

Related gallery: In Memoriam: Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia's basketball journeys

Divine's family also remembered the young athlete as someone who dreamed big and cared deeply for his loved ones.

His father, Elias Adili, said Divine discovered his passion for basketball at a young age and worked hard to pursue both academics and sports in the Philippines.

"From childhood, he decided he was a basketball player because he noticed he had height. He was in the Philippines to play basketball and then again to go to school for studies and basketball," Elias said.

For Divine's mother, Ifeoma Adili, one of the most difficult memories is their final conversation.

She recalled that Divine's last message reassured her that everything would be alright and that he would continue looking after his siblings.

As they prepared to attend church, she called her son to ask about the team's camp. Divine told her he would leave on Sunday.

"I just prayed with him. I vividly remember that I told him to stay safe," Ifeoma said.

Elias also revealed that she first learned about the tragedy through information circulating online before receiving official notification.

"First of all, I saw something on the internet, so that's how we got to know about it. We are not happy with that because he is somebody's son, somebody's child. And we ought to be informed of anything before it goes out to the media," she said, adding that Ateneo later contacted the family regarding the incident.

Still struggling to come to terms with her son's death, Ifeoma described the overwhelming grief she continues to experience.

"Honestly, I could not even believe that I would survive to that point. It's as if the world has shattered. There's nothing left for me here," she said.

The tragic deaths of Rene and Divine have left their families, friends, teammates, and coaches mourning the loss of two promising young athletes whose dreams were cut short far too soon.

Watch their full feature on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.