Philippine sports officials are moving to address long-term governance gaps exposed by the death of Ateneo Blue Eagles student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili during a team-building activity in Aurora Province.
The college basketball players drowned on June 8, when the Blue Eagles conducted the activity at Hermanos Leisure Farm and Surf Camp in Barangay Libis, Dipaculao, Aurora. The pair were among a group of players who drifted farther from shore and were caught by strong currents.
The incident has shocked the Philippines, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is now actively backing House Bill No. 2631, or the proposed Sports Coaching Act, as part of a broader push to professionalize coaching standards nationwide.
The bill was authored by 5th District of Isabela Representative Mike Dy in July 2025, proposing the creation of a national registry of coaches, mandatory licensing and certification, and continuing professional development requirements for sports professionals.
The PSC established a multi-stakeholder panel in the wake of the student deaths, and it convened for the first time on Wednesday.
The panel, which includes representatives from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (the national body for Philippine basketball), the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the Commission on Higher Education, and the National Youth Commission, hopes to determine what happened in Aurora, while reviewing athlete safety policies, team-building protocols, and risk-management practices to help to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio said House Bill No. 2631 provided a critical step toward addressing inconsistencies in coaching practices across collegiate, grassroots, and national programs -- especially in areas where there was currently no certification.
Gregorio said the stakeholders were aligned in pushing the measure as part of systemic reforms intended to strengthen athlete protection mechanisms.
He emphasized that the goal was to establish a single baseline of accountability for coaches across all levels of sport, regardless of affiliation or institution.
"We will push for the enactment of a law regulating the coaching profession, including the establishment of a national registry, mandatory licensing and certification, and continuing professional development requirements for coaches and sports professionals," Gregorio said.
"We support the proposed Sports Coaching Act, implementation must be undertaken in partnership with National Sports Associations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders.
"We cannot undo what has happened, but we can ensure that this loss is not without purpose. The most meaningful way to honor Rene and Divine is to commit ourselves to legacy reforms that build a sporting environment worthy of every athlete who entrusts their dreams to it."
The UAAP, meanwhile, said it would defer any decision on possible sanctions against Ateneo de Manila University until formal findings from government investigations were released.
UAAP executive director Atty. Rene Saguisag Jr. said the league would wait for the conclusions of lead investigative bodies, including the National Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the Department of Justice, before moving forward with any deliberations.
"We go where the evidence leads," Saguisag said during the PSC Sports Stakeholders' Panel briefing. "We are now in the process of gathering information and awaiting official reports that are being prepared
He said the UAAP had begun internal coordination and information-gathering, but formal action would follow due process and the release of official findings.
"Of course, we would like to hear from the concerned parties as part of due process," he said. "Kahapon was organizational, today was also organizational, and meron naman kaming narrating, and may resolutions na intact. Mas mabuti mag-align muna tayo. Wait for the reports and align with this panel.
"Insofar as our bylaws are concerned, maybe we can also study that option. Now, I am sitting as part of this panel, which not only affect Rene and Divine, but as mentioned, not just student-athletes, but all athletes in general."