ILOILO CITY, Feb. 12 -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has warned the public against poaching the threatened agarwood tree, commonly known as Lapnisan, considered the highest-valued forest product in the world because of its distinctive fragrance.

"We, at the DENR, environment and balancing our ecosystem will always be our priority. We are here to protect and conserve our flora and fauna, but how can we achieve those if there are individuals patronizing illegal activities," DENR Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Livino Duran said on Monday.

In a statement, the DENR said the resinous wood is used as incense for medicinal purposes.

Because of its distinctive fragrance, the pure resin in distilled for...