Category: Agarwood Market

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DENR: P3.2M halaga ng agarwood nakumpiska sa 4 na suspek sa Rizal

Manila, Philippines (June 21, 2020) – Arestado ang apat katao ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources at National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) matapos maaktuhan ang mga ito na may dalang ilang kilo ng agarwood na mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ng batas.

Nakilala ang mga nadakip na suspek na sina Ramil Ong, Bernie Bagay, Rizal Mofar at Arjhun Gaviola na naaresto ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng DENR’s Environmental Protection and Enforcement Task Force (EPETF) at NBI-Environmental Crime Division sa Pasig City at Cainta, Rizal noong Hunyo 8.

Nakumpiska ng mga environmental enforcers sa mga suspek ang tinatayang 20 kilo ng agarwood na may halagang P3.2 milyon.Ayon sa DENR ang agarwood ay isa sa pinakamahal na “raw materials” sa paggawa ng pabango na umaabot ang presyo sa P160,000 kada kilo sa Pilipinas.

Pinuri naman ni Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ang DENR at NBI dahil sa sakripisyo ng mga ito upang maaresto ang mga “environmental criminals” kahit na mahigpit na ipinatutupad ang “quarantine” upang mapigilan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19.

“This clearly sends out the message that the government’s campaign against environmental offenders remains unrelenting despite a pandemic that is wreaking havoc worldwide,” sabi pa ni Cimatu.

Nahaharap ang apat na suspek sa kasong paglabag sa Republic Act 9147 o ang Wildlife Resources and Protection Act at Presidential Decree 705 o mas kilala sa Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines. Kasalukuyan din nakapiit ang mga ito sa NBI detention facility sa Manila habang hinihintay ang pagdinig sa kanilang kaso.

Ayon naman kay senior ecosystems management specialist at miyembro ng EPETF na si Rogelio Demelletes, Jr., ang kanilang mga nakumpiskang agarwood ay isa sa pinakamahal at magandang klase na nagmula pa sa mga kagubatan ng Mindanao partikular na sa mga probinsiya ng Surigao at Agusan.

Ang agarwood ay nagmula sa mga puno ng Lapnisan at Lanete na kapwa kasama sa national list ng mga nanganganib na Philippine plants base na rin sa inilabas na DENR Administrative Order 2007-01.

Sinabi pa ni Demelletes, ang high grade agarwood ay maibebenta hanggang US$30,000 kada kilo at ang pagbebenta nito ay dahilan upang manganib ang mga puno ng Lanete at Lapnisan.

Original news posted found on the link below.

DENR: P3.2M halaga ng agarwood nakumpiska sa 4 na suspek sa Rizal
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P3.2-M agarwood seized; 4 nabbed

Joint operatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have arrested four individuals caught transporting several kilos of agarwood, a threatened and much sought-after tree species.

The four, identified as Ramil Ong, Bernie Bagay, Rizal Mofar and Arjhun Gaviola, were apprehended in two separate operations conducted by the DENR’s Environmental Protection and Enforcement Task Force (EPETF) and the NBI-Environmental Crime Division in Pasig City and Cainta, Rizal last 8 June.

The environmental enforcers seized from the suspects almost 20 kilos of agarwood valued at P3.2 million.

Agarwood is one of the most expensive raw materials used in perfumery, costing at least P160,000 per kilo in the Philippines.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu lauded DENR and NBI enforcers for their unrelenting efforts to go after environmental criminals despite the quarantine restrictions and other measures imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“This clearly sends out the message that the government’s campaign against environmental offenders remains unrelenting despite a pandemic that is wreaking havoc worldwide,” Cimatu said.The four suspects were charged with violations of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources and Protection Act and Presidential Decree 705, otherwise known as the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines. They are detained at the NBI detention facility in Manila while awaiting court proceedings.

Rogelio Demelletes Jr., a senior ecosystems management specialist and member of EPETF, said initial investigation showed that the seized agarwood shipments were of high-grade quality and likely poached from the forests of Mindanao, particularly Surigao and Agusan provinces.

Agarwood is extracted from host trees locally known as Lapnisan and Lanete, which are both included in the national list of threatened Philippine plants per DENR Administrative Order 2007-01.

According to Demelletes, a high-grade agarwood can be sold for as high $30,000 per kilo and its trafficking has spawned indiscriminate cutting of Lanete and Lapnisan trees.

Original news posted found on the link below.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2020/06/22/p3-2-m-agarwood-seized-4-nabbed/
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DENR, NBI seize P3.2 million agarwood

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) along with agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have confiscated about 20 kilos of agarwood valued at P3.2 million in Pasig City and Cainta, Rizal.

Four suspects were arrested by the DENR Environmental Protection and Enforcement Task Force and the NBI Environmental Crime Division on June 8. They were Ramil Ong, Bernie Bagay, Rizal Mofar and Arjhun Gaviola.

The DENR said the suspects were nabbed after they caught in the act of transporting agarwood extracted from local tree species.

Charges of violation of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources and Protection Act and the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines have been filed against the suspects who are being held at the NBI detention facility in Manila.

Agarwood, one of the most expensive raw materials for the production of perfume, incense, fragrance oil and traditional medicine, can be sold for as high as P160,000 per kilo.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu lauded the DENR and NBI for their “unrelenting efforts to go after the suspects despite quarantine restrictions.” – Elizabeth Marcelo

Original news posted found on this link. https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/06/22/2022562/denr-nbi-seize-p32-million-agarwood

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The bible mentioned aloe in reference to the ancient incense

The agarwood mentioned in the bible (Ps 45:8; Pr 7:17; Ca 4:14 ) was popularly attributed to the Hindi Agallocha species of agarwood plant that exists primarily in the northern state of Assam, India and its neighbouring regions. The tree is large and can grow to a height of 100 feet. The inner core of the trunk and some branches are impregnated with resin and an odoriferous oil from which comes the highly prized perfume. Apparently attaining its most aromatic state when in decay, the wood is sometimes buried in the ground to hasten the decaying process.. The wood is then to be used for incense burning in order to utilise its fragrant scent and plentiful odoriferous oil.

It was mentioned in the bible that Nicodemus brought “a roll of myrrh and aloes” weighing about 100 Roman pounds (33 kg), to be used in preparing for Jesus’ departure. Nicodemus’ contribution must have required a considerable outlay of money on his part. While some apply the term “aloes” in this text to the plant of the lily family that now bears the botanical name of Aloe vera, the product of this plant (a thick juice from the leaves) is employed not for its aroma but as a purgative and for other health-related purposes. The aloes brought by Nicodemus was highly likely the same aloeswood or agarwood product as that referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures and Muslim Hadiths.

Aloes, today, are the costliest of biblical scents. Up till today, many of the Kings’ garments are fragranced in agarwood, replicating the practise of the kings of the ancient.

Re-live this tradition of great peoples and pamper yourself with some traditional perfuming with Oud premium range of quality aloes.

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Agarwood in high demand

TACLOBAN CITY — With an extremely high market value due to an increasing demand worldwide and limited supply in forests, there is a mad scramble of agarwood in Leyte with hunters taking a “cat and mouse” chase with forest guards deployed to guard against the indiscriminate cutting of trees.

“The value of agarwood has become too expensive, next only to shabu,” Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Moises de la Cruz quipped, adding that dried and top-quality agarwood can demand a price of up to P1 million.

De la Cruz said his office has deployed additional forest protection officers as well as Bantay Gubat personnel in towns that are considered hotspots for agarwood.

He said at least 15 apprehensions have already been made with over 20 cases, including those involving foreign nationals, being filed in different courts against forest poachers searching for agarwood and among those involved in its illegal trade.

There is currently no technology that could determine if a tree has agarwood, thus, agar hunters cut trees indiscriminately resulting to deforestation in some places. “The cutting of trees is trial and error,” De la Cruz said.

Agarwood has high demand throughout the world as a raw material for incense, perfume and medicinal purposes.

According to research published by the US National Institute of Health, global agarwood prices can range from $20 to $6,000 per kilogram for wood chips depending on its quality, or $10,000 per kilogram for full pieces of wood itself. Meanwhile, the value of agarwood essential oils can fetch as high as $30,000 per kilogram.

The annual global market for agarwood has been estimated to be in the range of $6 to $8 billion, yet a large number of the trades have not been recorded, the NIH research said.

Agarwood is formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees, locally called lapnisan or lanete, when the tree is wounded and develops a fungal infection to spawn its creation.

Resin is secreted by trees as a defense mechanism to the infections and is deposited around the wounds in years following the injury, where the accumulation of volatile compounds eventually forms agarwood.

Before the infection, the heartwood is odorless, relatively light and pale colored. But when it gets infected, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin, called agar, resulting into a very dense, dark, resin-embedded heartwood.

The PENRO office has no inventory on the number of lapnisan and lanete trees in Leyte but De la Cruz said they are abundant because it naturally grows in the province especially in the towns of Jaro, Carigara and Abuyog.

De la Cruz said those involved in cutting lapnisan and lanete trees will face charges for violation of the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines and Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

On 3 November, police arrested seven persons for allegedly smuggling pieces of agar from Barangay Canal, Carigara town in Leyte. Cases have been filed against the suspect including a bribery case after they attempted to bribe police to release them.

Original news link is found on this link https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/11/19/agarwood-in-high-demand/