Meet & Greet with a Needle Master, Dr. Philip Niño Tan-Gatue

It was a personal delight for me to finally meet a acupuncturist here in the Philippines.  Being a believer in alternative medicine treatment, meeting one who has the knowledge of both western and eastern medical treatment is indeed a treat!  I am please to introduce and feature in my blog, Dr. Philip Niño Tan-Gatue.

More commonly called as Doc Phil,  he is a license medical person and a certified acupuncturist by profession.  Having 5 clinics in the metropolis, he is one busy person!  It was a pleasure that he was able to give time to meet us bloggers last July 7 at Just Thai Restaurant in Burgos Circle.

The venue, food, company and Dr. Philip was a delight in totality!  It was good food enjoyed with good company and the whole chit-chat was both informative and simply casual.  No pressure, relax and similar to chatting with personal friends.

We were given the chance to ask Dr. Phil about his craft and he was casual in answering all our queries.  He even shared some of his experiences during his training and his present clients.  No worries for he maintained the manner demanded by his profession, confidentiality; no names mentioned simply the medical situation involving acupuncture.

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About Dr. Philip:

Dr. Philip Nino Tan-Gatue MD, CAc, CMA,is one of the leading experts in Traditional Medicine and Chinese Medicine in the Philippines. Currently, he is a Clinical Associate Professor in the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and is Director of Acupuncture Services at The Medical City.

After graduating from the Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) Program of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Doc Philip (as he is fondly called) took an interest in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. He has travelled to China and the US in search for training and knowledge.

He studied in the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and gained invaluable experience in the Xuanwu Municipal Hospital and in the First Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has also learned through lectures given by Andrew Wu, L.Ac, Giovanni Maciocia, and others.

Currently, Doc Philip maintains a private practice while teaching in his alma mater and in the University of the East. He also appears frequently on radio and television to talk about Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.  
(information and writing style was lifted from acupuncture.net.ph)
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Doc Phil with a needle
on his arm

Based on our discussion that night, like any other professionals in this field, Dr. Philip is well aware and verse with the different schools of learning about needle usage.  For him, the concept of the Yin and the Yang plus the 5 basic elements is a must to properly diagnose the situation at hand and apply the needle at the right point.  He is also a conservative in nature.  Conservative in the sense of using simply a few needles as much as possible.  Why?  For him, it is his way of helping out patients also.  It is a per needle costing and for those who seeks medical help but lacks in monetary means, this is his way of giving back to the public.

True to say that some may be hesitant to try this method for fear of the tool being used but it is a way that may help you recreate that system and energy balance that you may need.  Acupuncture is both a curative and health maintaning medical practice. Also applied for aesthetic purposes by some.

Is it right to combine western and eastern medical practice?  My answer to that: Yes! Dr. Philip is a living proof of that. He supports both western and eastern medical practices.  The point is in the right combination.  Your medical situation may be known in western medicine by a certain name and in eastern it can be called in different names due to its nature and vice-versa.  Bottomline is both medical practice has a curative step for it.  You just need to consult and seek the right person for the proper combination and practice should you wish to apply both principle.  For one practice can give support to the other.


Through out the dinner, Doc Phil showed us how needles are placed, via some pictures in his mobile, and its purposes and even personally used his arm for demonstration purposes. Being a strong supporter of the Traditional and Integrative Medicine act of 1997 and a person who freely uses his hands to express his thoughts, it is no wonder that he is known for his craft and has a strong set of followers in his blog.  For me, a person who uses his hands freely to fully express his thoughts is someone whom you can trust and believe in. A family man, his greatest critic is his wife. No harm there for it helps him improve his craft and see things in a more balanced context. The night ended with poses and pictures taken of Doc. Phil and bloggers alike. It was a night worth having a second chapter . . . the needle experience.

The meet and greet party with Doc Phil

 Care to join me in that experience of being a pin cushion and have a balanced Qi?