Agarwood, aloes wood, eaglewood, or gharu wood is a fragrant dark resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small carvings formed in the heartwood of trees of Aquilaria species. when they become infected with a type of mold.

The value of first grade agarwood is extremely high. Prices range from a few pesos per kilo for the lowest quality, to over ₱ 165,201,400 for top quality oil and resinous wood.

On the average, there are 21 recorded Aquilaria species. In the Philippines, there are eight recorded species of Aquilaria, mostly found in Mindanao. These species are heavily exploited in the wild due to the destructive agarwood harvesting technique.

The study entitled “Biophysical Characterization, Species Exploration, and Mapping of the Spatial Distribution of Native Aquilaria Species in Mindanao Island Philippines“ of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB), and Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Agriculture Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD), aims to address the problem on the genetic conservation of Lapnisan in the Philippines through industrial tree plantation and to sustain biodiversity through strengthening research and development on forest and biodiversity.

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