The areca nut (Areca catechu L.) is a widely-distributed crop species predominantly found in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and east Africa. Its spread is potentially attributable to early human-mediated dispersal during the colonisation of regions before the common era. The areca nut and the betel leaf (Piper betle L.) are the common ingredients for preparing betel quid, which is used in the culturally extensive practice of its chewing, considered one of the most addictive habits in the world. The dispersal history of Areca catechu, despite its cultural significance, is not well understood, and there is currently no model explaining its transmission in the Asia-Pacific region. With A. catechu as a bioproxy, this research project looks into the nut’s Philippine populations to investigate the possibility of the presence of genetic structure. The study will obtain DNA sequences from chloroplast genes, the large subunit of the ribulose-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL), NADH dehydrogenase f (ndhF) and the hypervariable noncoding chloroplast DNA (NC-cpDNA), to characterise the genetic diversity of Areca sp. in the Philippines. The data can possibly provide insights into the plant’s distribution of lineages and translocation history in the region.