Some Filipinos reportedly donated their hair to a life-size sculpture of Atenean student-athlete Rene “Bobet” Baterbonia, created as a tribute.
Artist Alan Esclamado of Butuan City created the sculpture of Rene, which was erected near his resting place at the Talacogon Municipal Memorial Park, Agusan del Sur on Saturday, July 18.
The turnover ceremony for the monument coincided with the 40th day since Rene’s passing on June 8, when he drowned at a beach in Dipaculao, Aurora, during a team-building activity initiated by former Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin.
The sculpture depicts Rene in a triple-threat basketball stance. It also features him wearing a jersey bearing his motto: “Just a kid with a big dream.”
Alan, the sculptor, said he created the piece as a “tribute to Mr. MVP.”
Rene was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2025 Palarong Pambansa after leading the Davao Region to the championship.
Based on Alan’s Facebook posts, he had been working on the sculpture since June 23.
He also said that some supporters donated their hair and eyebrow hair for the sculpture.
“Pabuhok kay Mr. MVP,” the artist wrote in a video that featured a supporter having his head shaved.
Other posts featured multiple supporters donating some of their eyebrow hair for the sculpture.
While the sculpture earned praise from some Filipinos, others expressed mixed reactions, with some pointing to the use of real hair in the artwork.
“Ito pa ‘yung malala. Totoong buhok ng mga tao ang ginamit nila both sa ulo at kilay para dun sa rebulto. Like???? THIS IS CULT BEHAVIOR,” an online user commented, sharing videos of the donations.
“I fear that one of Philippines’ sickness is idolatry. wdym [What do you mean] this kid died because of unnecessary training, yet they made him as if he is a patron or saint. Let his soul rest and seek proper justice and don’t fall into idolatry,” another said.
“Wtf??? Namatay sa pagkalunod ‘yung tao tapos ginawan ng rebulto. Patahimikin ninyo na ‘yan, oy,” a different X user commented.
“Patahimikin niyo na ‘yung bata, jusko kayo. Baka magulat na lang kami isang araw, ginawa niyo na siyang santo,” another Pinoy wrote.
Idolatry?
Since Rene’s death, several Filipinos, particularly from the Visayas and Mindanao, have been expressing their grief over his untimely passing, which came before he was set to make his debut as a player for the Ateneo Blue Eagles Men’s Basketball team.
The tributes and expressions of support have varied, with some even asking if the student-athlete could be declared a “saint” by the Catholic Church.
These actions have drawn mixed reactions from some Filipinos, with some expressing concerns that such acts may prevent Rene’s soul from resting in peace.
Psychologist David Kuyunjik Damian explained that Rene’s passing resonated with many people because of how “relatable” his story was.
“He is a small-town kid who went to Manila to try and make it big for his family. His story is too familiar to Pinoys — it’s impossible not to trigger all sorts of emotions just hearing his name,” he said in an interview with Inquirer.
“These emotions get expressed heavily on social media, and we can call it extreme sympathy [or] empathy. His story is so relatable,” Damian added.
He also feels that Filipinos have a “fanatic” culture that has since become normalized over time, but added that some behaviors can cross the line.
“It only becomes wrong if there is a delusional belief that they are in a reciprocal relationship with Baterbonia,” Damian said.
“[When] they feel entitled to answer on his behalf as though he knows them, [when] they are too fixated to the point that they feel like they’re widows or lost a close loved one or family member, [or when] they experience significant distress to the point that they can no longer eat or sleep out of grief,” he added.
Damian also cautioned against outrightly calling people’s attachment to Rene “unhealthy” without a proper diagnostic assessment.
“Those who post, I think, have genuine feelings for him and his situation,” he said.
“I think social media just amplifies the sympathy because we’re now learning more about him — his family, where he’s from, etc. The posts may look weird and extreme, but if you think about it, these people might just be expressing sympathy, but to the highest level,” the psychologist added.
Rene lost his life one month after celebrating his 18th birthday and less than a week after moving to Ateneo de Manila University’s Katipunan campus.
He was set to make his debut in UAAP Season 89 as an Ateneo Blue Eagles player.
The National Bureau of Investigation filed a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in two counts of homicide against Baldwin and other members of the team’s coaching staff on July 13.
Another student-athlete who died was Divine Adili, a 21-year-old Nigerian import.