World-class waves, emerald-green lagoons , white-sand beaches, natural rock pools, great food, a laid-back atmosphere with bright days and a nightlife. It’s paradise. It’s Siargao Island.
Branded as the ‘Surfing Capital of the Philippines’ and named as the best island in Asia in the annual Condé Nast Traveler 2021, Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island in Surigao del Norte, home to around 150,000 inhabitants with a local economy fueled by surfing, agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure and investment opportunities.
Primarily driven by eco-tourism, Siargao rebounded from pandemic levels of 125,000 tourist arrivals in 2022 to 529,000 tourist arrivals in 2023, with tourism revenues reaching P3.8 billion. (Coles, 2022) . The latest Department of Tourism records show that in 2025, over 242,000 tourists, both domestic and international visited the island for its sporting events and holiday perks.
Touchdown Siargao
Now, the island’s rhythm feels even more vibrant with the opening of a BDO branch at the Siargao Town Center, an addition to the two BDO Network Bank branches which have long been serving the island’s local communities, from tourists, residents and workers to small entrepreneurs, plus the 30 Cash Agad partners located in far-flung barangays ensure that people who live or work outside the main tourism zone can still access cash and basic financial services.
Modern banking designed for island life
Riding the waves, BDO Unibank brings something the island has long needed: a complete suite of banking services that complements the four pre-branch opening ATMs serving the island. Since these machines are an extension of the branch footprint, the addition of more ATMs and the Universal Teller Machine (UTM) means that Siargao now enjoys the widest and most reliable access to self-service machines it has ever had, a clear expression of commitment to financial inclusion.
Full-service banking now within reach
Residents can open savings and investment accounts, secure personal or auto loans, seamlessly send and receive money from foreign banks, access micro-insurance or remittance services and a lot more without leaving the island.
Tourists, both local and foreign, often arrive with mixed currencies and limited cash. The new branch provides reliable foreign exchange services and easy ATM access. With the surge of visitors from the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Asia, this service fills a much-needed gap.
Entrepreneurs can conveniently pay out salaries, sign up for various cash management services to help manage their businesses, aside from building a financial record that can help unlock future credit opportunities.
From resorts and surf schools to restaurants, trike rentals, and tour operators, many entrepreneurs operate with fluctuating demand and seasonal cashflow. BDO is now onboarding them as merchants, enabling card and QR payments, offering business deposit solutions, and providing flexible financing for expansion, equipment, or daily working capital.
For many SMEs, it’s the first time such comprehensive support has become available on the island, hence, Siargao’s business owners stand to benefit the most.
The Bank’s arrival empowers Siargao with a financial services hub that supports every part of its economy: from local enterprises that keep the island thriving, visitors who fuel its revenue, and residents and workers who form its backbone.
With BDO now woven into Siargao’s evolving landscape, islanders and visitors can embrace the paradise fully—confident that easy, simple, and secure banking is always within reach. (JTD/SunStar Pampanga)
Barefoot and beyond:
VINCE LAMPERT ON FINDING WAYS IN SIARGAO
In 2001, Vince Lampert set foot on Siargao’s shores for the first time. Back then, infrastructure was minimal, yet the island’s natural spirit and “raw, spectacular beauty” stood out, qualities that would inspire his enduring commitment to this surfing paradise.
A decade later, that connection led to Lampert’s involvement in a luxury resort on the island, today known as Nay Palad Hideaway. Drawing from his background in outdoor furniture manufacturing, he helped create what he calls a “barefoot sanctuary”—a retreat designed for relaxation and harmony with nature rather than traditional hospitality standards.
A partnership that grows
Lampert’s business ventures have always relied on strong foundations. Earlier in his career, the Cebu-based company he worked with chose a banking partner that understood their needs—BDO Unibank. That professional connection soon became personal as well, evolving into a relationship that has been a steady presence in his journey for nearly 25 years.
When operations of the world-class resort in Siargao began in 2012, that support became even more critical. “BDO’s robust infrastructure has been crucial for ensuring smooth operations,” Lampert shares, citing the Bank’s handling of international payments and currency exchange for guests and suppliers, its point-of-sale systems for secure card payments, and payroll services to ensure staff were paid efficiently and on time as key examples.
Opportunities on the surfing horizon
Lampert settled full-time in Siargao in 2019, joining a growing number of entrepreneurs who have chosen to live and work on the island. At the time, the absence of a full-service bank branch meant certain services and transactions—such as cash management, foreign exchange and advanced corporate banking needs—had to be routed through Cebu or Manila.
Those early operational hurdles seem small, however, compared to the challenge faced in December 2021, when Typhoon Odette devastated the island, severely impacting local businesses and forcing tough decisions about their future. For Lampert, the choice was clear: “The decision to rebuild was driven by our commitment to our team, who are like family, and to Siargao,” he says.
During the recovery period, access to liquidity and efficient fund transfers were needed. With the right financial support from a trusted partner bank, the resort was able to pay salaries and effectively manage resources, so that rebuilding could begin.
Today, Nay Palad Hideaway is standing, and Siargao’s economy is thriving. The recent opening of BDO Unibank’s first full-service branch on the island marks “a watershed moment for the island’s development,” says Lampert. It brings deposits, personal and business loans, payroll solutions, foreign exchange, remittances, and more within easy reach. With the two BDO Network Bank branches and 30 Cash Agad partners, this expanded presence ensures that financial access keeps pace with Siargao’s growth.
For visionaries like Lampert, this means more time to focus on what matters most: creating experiences that celebrate the island’s beauty and spirit. And for Siargao, the arrival of BDO with a complete suite of banking services signals a future where development remains sustainable, inclusive, and rooted in the community that makes it truly one of a kind.
Come visit the BDO Unibank branch located at Siargao Town Center in Dapa, or the BDO Network Bank branches in Siargao today. (PR)