02/05/2026
BEWARE of UNRECOGNIZED "Acupuncture Training Providers" in our Country!
This post is meant to EMPOWER you so you can SAVE your TIME, EFFORT, and RESOURCES so you won't become a VICTIM of any so-called "training centers" or "training providers" which are NOT RECOGNIZED to operate in our country.
It is ALARMING that there are "pop-ups" training providers or a week long certifications roaming around, UNRECOGNIZED and UNAUTHORIZED to operate under our law or they overpass the local mandates. These training centers will compromise the "ethical and clinical standards" that could potentially DEMISE the QUALITY and EFFECTIVENESS of the practice and the SAFETY of the end-users--the public.
Acupuncture Training Centers must be:
1. A DOH-PITAHC Accredited Training Provider or Center.
2. The Trainor must be a DOH-PITAHC Board Accredited Acupuncturist or Medical Acupuncturist who supposedly trained as Teacher Trainor of the same institution.
These are the TWO important QUESTIONS you must ask to the training provider. They must be able to show you a PITAHC Accreditation Number or a Certification Copy under that modality both for training Center and the Trainor.
For example, a Training Center Accredited as "Naturopathy" provider technically IS NOT an Acupuncture Accredited Training Provider. They must secure a separate accreditation for that modality.
There is also an "Associate level of Acupuncturist" who pose as trainers. You have to verify with DOH-PITAHC if these people are allowed to conduct the training.
As of the moment, DOH-PITAHC is the government agency that has an ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER to oversee the implementation of ethical and clinical boundaries of the TCIM (Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine) practices.
The mandate of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) regarding the practice of acupuncture is established under Republic Act No. 8423, also known as the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA) of 1997.
While the Act provides a broad mandate for all traditional and alternative modalities, the specific authority for PITAHC to regulate and promote acupuncture is derived from the following sections:
STATUTORY Mandate
Section 3:Objectives
This section outlines the general responsibility of PITAHC to:
"...encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care systems that have a direct impact on public health care."
Section 12: Powers and Functions of the Institute
This is the core legal basis for PITAHC’s regulatory and developmental role.
Specifically:
Section 12 (c).
Mandates the institute
"to formulate a code of ethics and standards for the practice of traditional and alternative health care modalities for approval and adoption by the appropriate professional regulatory bodies."
Section 12 (d):
Authorizes the institute
"to formulate standards and guidelines for the manufacture, quality control and marketing of traditional and alternative health care materials and products."
Administrative Implementation
To operationalize the TAMA Law specifically for acupuncture, PITAHC issued
Administrative Order "No. 1, Series of 2001" (and its subsequent updates), which established the "Guidelines on the Certification of Acupuncturists and Accreditation of Acupuncture Training Centers and Clinics".
Under these guidelines,
PITAHC is mandated to:
1. Certify Practitioners:
Evaluate and certify that an individual has met the required competency standards to practice acupuncture in the Philippines.
2. Accredit Facilities:
Ensure that clinics and training centers providing acupuncture services maintain safety and quality standards.
3. Monitor Compliance:
Conducts regular inspections to ensure that the practice remains within the ethical and clinical boundaries set by the law.
In summary, while RA 8423 (Section 12) provides the high-level legal authority to set standards and codes of ethics, the specific "mandate" to regulate acupuncture is executed through PITAHC’s role as the national certifying body for TCIM medicine practitioners.
