Botany
Alibuñgog is a small tree growing to a height of 5 meters or more with crooked branches and smooth, slender branchlets. Leaves are alternate, oblong-ovate to broadly lanceolate, about 10 centimeters long and 4.5 centimeters wide, entire, pointed at the tip, and somewhat rounded at the base. Inflorescences are usually terminal, and at most as long as the leaves. Flowers are white and fragrant, clustered upon short pedicels. Calyx is small and ovately segmented. Corolla is somewhat enlarged at the cylindric base with the narrow lobes ultimated reflexed. Fruit is rounded, about 3 millimeters in diameter, juicy, and orange with a reddish tinge when mature.

Distribution
- An endemic species found in thickets and forests at low and medium altitudes from the Babuyan Islands and northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao.

Constituents
- Yields cyanogenetic glycosides: Simmondsin, ehretioside A1, A2, A3, and B, and polyalcohol.
- Stem bark yielded rosmarinic acid. (2)

Properties
- Considered counter-irritant, emollient, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhea, anti-dysenteric.

Parts used
Bark, leaves, roots.

Uses
Folkloric
- Poultice of green leaves and stem bark scraped into a pulp are applied to painful and inflamed areas for as long as six hours, and the dressing application renewed once or twice in twenty hours as needed. The poultice has been applied to areas of painful and swollen joints, facial inflammation, post-traumatic swellings, inflamed swollen hangnail and cellulitis.
- Dr. Camomot's "Macerate" preparation: an aqueous maceration is prepared from soaking of fresh leaves (about 50 leaves, weighing about 100 gms) in a basin of well-water at room temperature. After one week, the leaves turn dark green with a menstruum of deep brown color. Decantation and passage through a cotton sieve yields about 900 cu cm of alibuñgog extract.
- Decoction of stem-bark or whole root used for diarrhea, dysentery, frequent blood stools accompanied by tenesmus. Also used as a mouthwash to relieve toothache.

Studies
• Cynogenetic Glycosides: Study yielded six cyanogenetic glycosides compounds: Simmondsin, ehretioside A1, A2, A3 and B, and polyalcohol. (1)
• Antihistamine Release Activity: Study of n-butanol and ethyl acetate stem bark extracts of E. philippinensis isolated rosmarinic acid and methyl rosmarinate which showed an antihistamine release activity against compound 48/40 (a very potent histamine liberator). Five cyanoglucosides (four new and one known) were also isolated. (2)
• Toxicity / Bark: In a study in mice, crude stem bark extract of E. philippinensis was found to be moderately toxic when administered intraperitoneally and slightly toxic orally. (4)
• Anti-Inflammatory / Stem Bark: Study of stem bark using different animal models showed anti-inflammatory activity equipotent to aspirin. (4)
• Antimicrobial / Roots and Leaves: Study evaluated crude extracts of roots and leaves of Ehretia philippinensis for antimicrobial properties. All extracts produced zone of inhibition on both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Erythromycin was used as standard. (5)

Availability
Wild-crafted.