BI Arrests Foreign Nationals for Illegally Operating Siargao Resort

BI Arrests Foreign Nationals for Illegally Operating Siargao Resort

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | July 8, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has apprehended a New Zealand national and a Swiss national for allegedly operating a resort in Siargao while holding only tourist visas. This operation underscores the BI’s commitment to ensuring that all foreign nationals adhere strictly to Philippine laws.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the individuals as 41-year-old Teryn Jane Spencer, a New Zealand national, and 38-year-old Dario Salvatore Di Capua, a Swiss national.

The arrests, executed on July 1 by operatives from the BI Intelligence Division’s Mindanao Regional Intelligence Operations Unit, occurred during a targeted enforcement operation at a resort in San Isidro, Siargao, Surigao del Norte.

The operation was prompted by credible intelligence revealing the couple’s direct management of a homestay and café, alongside offering yoga sessions to guests, all without the necessary work visas or permits.

To corroborate these reports, BI intelligence operatives posed as prospective clients seeking to book the entire resort for a team-building event. Spencer personally engaged with the undercover officers, conducting a property tour, detailing room rates and accommodation options, discussing yoga classes, and facilitating the reservation. Investigators assert these actions unequivocally demonstrated her active participation in the daily operation of the business.

Despite the couple’s claim that they were merely investors, BI investigators uncovered compelling evidence that they were directly managing the establishment and actively engaging with customers while maintaining temporary visitor status.

“A tourist visa is emphatically not a license to work or run a business in the Philippines,” declared Commissioner Viado. “We extend a warm welcome to foreign visitors who respect our laws. However, those who exploit the privilege of their stay by engaging in unauthorized employment or business activities will face arrest, deportation, and permanent blacklisting from the country. No individual is above our immigration laws.”

Following their apprehension, the couple has been taken into BI custody and will now undergo rigorous deportation proceedings for violating the fundamental conditions of their admission as temporary visitors. This decisive action serves as a potent warning to others considering similar illegal activities within Philippine borders.

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