Philippines Lists Agarwood Tree "Lapnisan" as Critically Endangered: Wild Collection, Possession and Trade Require Permits

Upgraded to Critically Endangered

Philippine media reported on 24 September 2026 that DENR Davao Region issued a public advisory: Aquilaria malaccensis, locally known in parts of the country as lapnisan, is classified as Critically Endangered under DENR Administrative Order No. 2026-20, the Updated National List of Threatened Philippine Plants and Their Categories. DENR stressed that possession, collection from the wild and trading of the species — including its by-products and derivatives — are prohibited without the necessary legal authority, and that propagation is likewise subject to permits. Illegal acquisition may violate Republic Act No. 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) and carries the penalties prescribed by law. Extensive poaching that collapsed wild populations was cited as the reason for the strict stance.

Same Logic as in China: It Regulates Trade, Not Normal Use

Notably, not every agarwood tree naturally contains commercially valuable resin: oleoresin forms as a defence response when the tree is wounded or infected, making resin-rich individuals scarce — which is precisely why prices, and poaching pressure, run so high. Internationally, the species is covered by CITES Appendix II, with a permit system governing its commercial movement. This mirrors practice in China: all Aquilaria and Gyrinops species are listed in CITES Appendix II, and the native Aquilaria sinensis is a Class II nationally protected wild plant. Selling finished agarwood products with complete legal documentation is lawful at home, while carrying or shipping any agarwood item across borders requires the CITES permit and truthful customs declaration.

Observation: Compliance Comes Before International Expansion

From Thailand and Vietnam to Malaysia and Indonesia, producing countries are tightening control over wild resources while promoting plantation material and traceability certification. For businesses this means that being able to produce origin certificates, import-export permits and third-party test reports — rather than simply sourcing cheap material — is becoming the real threshold for cross-border trade. For ordinary buyers, choosing legal channels with traceable and testable goods, and treating claims such as "wild old stock" without documentation as red flags, remains the simplest safeguard.

(This is industry observation and popular-science summary, not investment advice. Buy agarwood through legal channels with traceable, testable sources.)