(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has prevented the illegal exportation of agarwood, a forest product from the tree species declared endangered.
Customs officials on Friday said they discovered three parcels filled with agarwood chips — valued at P9,315,000.00 — in a warehouse in Pasay City on Sept. 10, 2025.
According to the BOC the X-ray inspection revealed suspicious images in the outbound shipment, which were declared as dried “alingatong” wood chips.
Upon physical examination of the parcels, authorities discovered various amounts of agarwood, weighing 3.80 kilograms, 4.10kg, and 4.52kg.
Also, the BOC stated that the attempted misdeclaration constitutes violations of Republic Act (RA) 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act), RA 9174 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act), and Presidential Decree 705 (Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines).
The seized items were placed under the custody of BOC-NAIA for proper disposition, in coordination with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources for appropriate action.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized the significance of the operation, stating, “This interception reinforces our commitment to safeguarding the country’s natural resources and preventing the illegal trade of endangered species. The Bureau of Customs will continue to intensify enforcement to protect biodiversity and ensure compliance with environmental laws.”
Port of NAIA District Collector Alexandra Lumontad said that through strict cargo monitoring and inter-agency collaboration, “BOC-NAIA ensures that our international gateways will not be exploited for the trafficking of illegal forest products.”
