Lapnisan, world's most expensive tree, threatened by poaching

Lapnisan or agarwood, the most expensive tree in the world, is being threatened by  armed poachers, a forest ranger said Friday.

According to Marvin Baroso’s report on “Stand for Truth,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine National Police found numerous cut agarwood in a dense forest of Mindanao during an operation.

“Based sa monitoring namin, talagang nagkakaubusan na. Pag merong nagka-cut ng lapnisan kasi mga armado ‘yun kadalasan, may mga itak. ‘Yung iba sa monitor namin may mga baril pa,” Baroso said.

“’Yun ang mahirap bilang isang forest ranger na pumapasok ka sa ganoon. Kami wala naman kaming baril. ‘Yung dala namin cellphone lang,” he added.

First-grade agarwood, also called the Wood of the Gods, costs $100,000 per kilo while its pure essential oil, called liquid gold, costs $80,000 per liter.

Baroso said the poachers cannot be immediately stopped due to their number.

“’Yung malungkot kasi parang bihira lang kasi makita ‘yung lapnisan at saka ang problema niyan, madatnan namin putol na,” he said.

An official of the DENR-Centro Bunawan, meanwhile, said that today's agarwood have become too small.

“Masyadong maliliit na po ‘yung mga lapnisan natin na makikita dito sa ating area. At saka in terms doon sa mga tao, alam nila kung ano ‘yung epekto lalo na sa ating kalikasan,” Jerome Albia, OIC, said.

The sap of the agarwood is used as an ingredient in expensive perfumes and incense around the world.

“It’s really the luxury brands or luxury fragrances na gumagamit nito kasi sila lang talaga ‘yung nakaka-affortd to use this essential oil because nga it is very expensive,” Bernadette Lim Baricaua, a perfumer, said.

“It is used as a base note, when we say base note, ito ‘yung pinaka nagtatagal na notes sa perfumes. So ito ‘yung naga-add ng longevity to a scent. So because the characteristic of agarwood is it is very powerful,” she added.

Watch the video to know more.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News