Willie Tan Ong was born on October 24, 1963, in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. He is a Filipino cardiologist, internist, and media personality known widely as Doc Willie Ong.
Ong built one of the country’s largest health-focused social media followings while also running for national office twice.
Who is Dr. Willie Ong?
Dr. Willie Ong is a cardiologist and internist who became a household name in the Philippines through free health advice on Facebook and YouTube.
He has practiced as a consultant at Manila Doctors Hospital and Makati Medical Center for more than two decades.
His reach extends well beyond the clinic.
Ong is also an author and newspaper columnist for The Philippine Star and Pilipino Star Ngayon. His best-known book, the Medicine Blue Book, has sold more than 400,000 copies since its 1995 release.
Ong ran for vice president of the Philippines in 2022 as the running mate of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. That campaign followed an earlier Senate bid in 2019, both built substantially on his online following.
Early Life of Dr. Willie Ong
Ong was born in Tondo, Manila, to Ong Yong and Juanita Tan Ong. His father, known in the Chinese Filipino community as Co Tec Tai, had immigrated from Jinjiang, China, and settled in the Philippines in 1922.
His father was also a dedicated charity worker.
Ong Yong served as president of several civic organizations, and his charitable example shaped his son’s later work in medicine.
Willie Ong grew up in Tondo and attended Xavier School for his early education, later receiving the school’s Exemplary Alumni Award in 2013.
Dr. Willie Ong Age
Dr. Willie Ong is 62 years old as of 2026, born on October 24, 1963. His zodiac sign is Scorpio, a sign often linked to determination and intensity.
He was 58 years old when he launched his 2022 vice-presidential campaign.
Dr. Willie Ong Ethnicity and Nationality
Dr. Willie Ong holds Filipino nationality. He comes from a Chinese Filipino family, with his father having immigrated from Jinjiang in China’s Fujian province.
That heritage remains part of his public identity, and his father’s Chinese name, Co Tec Tai, lives on through the medical museum Ong later founded in his honor.
Dr. Willie Ong Education
Ong completed his pre-medical studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman, earning a Bachelor of Science in Botany. He then attended the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in Cavite, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1992.
His postgraduate training followed a demanding path.
Ong completed his internal medicine residency at Manila Doctors Hospital, where he served as chief resident. He then pursued a cardiology fellowship at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, serving as chief fellow there as well.
In 2001, Ong earned a Master in Public Health degree from the University of the Philippines Manila.
Dr. Willie Ong Career
Early Career
Ong began working in 1998 as medical director of the Pasay Filipino-Chinese Charity Health Center. He later became a cardiology consultant at Manila Doctors Hospital in 2001, a role he continues to hold alongside a similar post at Makati Medical Center.
During his clerkship year, Ong started writing what would become his signature work.
He published the Medicine Blue Book in 1995, and it went on to sell over 400,000 copies, making it one of the best-selling local medical books in the Philippines.
Media and Public Health Work
Ong joined RJTV in 2005 to produce his own television show focused on health education. From 2008 to 2018, he appeared regularly on ABS-CBN’s Salamat Dok as a resident medical expert.
He also founded the Co Tec Tai Medical Museum in Pasay City, named after his father.
The museum, considered the first medical museum in the Philippines, documents the country’s healthcare history and aims to inspire Filipinos toward health careers. Ong additionally served as a consultant for the Philippine Department of Health from 2010 to 2014.
Political Career
Ong entered politics in 2019, running for a Senate seat under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party. He placed 18th out of 62 candidates, drawing more than 7.6 million votes while spending only 581,000 Philippine pesos on his campaign.
That performance set up his next, much bigger run.
In September 2021, Ong agreed to become the vice-presidential running mate of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno under the Aksyon Demokratiko party. They filed their candidacy on October 4, 2021, and campaigned through the 2022 general election.
Ong lost the vice-presidential race to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. He conceded gracefully in a video posted the day after the election, congratulating both Duterte and president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Dr. Willie Ong Books and Publications
Ong’s most notable book remains the Medicine Blue Book, first published in 1995 and later expanded into additional editions. The book serves as a diagnosis and treatment guide and has become a staple reference among Filipino medical students and practitioners.
He continues to write health columns for The Philippine Star and Pilipino Star Ngayon.
Dr. Willie Ong Awards and Honors
Xavier School recognized Ong with its Exemplary Alumni Award in 2013. He has also received honors from Philippine medical societies over the course of his career in cardiology and internal medicine.
His extensive social media following has itself become a recognized measure of his public health influence in the Philippines.
Dr. Willie Ong Wife and Children
Dr. Willie Ong married Anna Liza Ramoso, also a physician, on October 24, 1993, at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Pasay City. The couple has worked together for decades sharing health advice with the public.
They have two daughters together, Anjelica Co Ramoso Ong and Catherine Co Ramoso Ong.
The family currently lives in Makati City, where both Dr. Willie and Dr. Anna Liza continue their medical and media work side by side.
Dr. Willie Ong Net Worth
Dr. Willie Ong’s estimated net worth is $5 million as of 2026.
His income comes from his medical practice, book sales, newspaper columns, and revenue from his YouTube and Facebook channels.
His decades of clinical work alongside his media career have built a diversified income base rare among Filipino physicians.
Dr. Willie Ong Social Media
Ong’s YouTube channel, Doc Willie Ong, has grown into one of the most subscribed channels in the Philippines since he launched it in 2007.
He built his Facebook presence starting in 2013, after confronting an impersonator using his name.
His channel and Facebook page remain focused almost entirely on free health education.
He also maintains a presence on Twitter, where he posts health updates and occasional commentary on current events.
The Bottom Line
Dr. Willie Ong published the Medicine Blue Book in 1995, and it has since sold more than 400,000 copies as a staple of Filipino medical education.
He ran for vice president of the Philippines in 2022 alongside Isko Moreno, building his campaign on the same trust he earned through years of free health advice online.
Ong comes from a Chinese Filipino family, and he built the Co Tec Tai Medical Museum in Pasay City to honor his father’s legacy. His wife, Dr. Anna Liza Ramoso Ong, has worked alongside him in both medicine and media for more than three decades.
Ong continues to practice cardiology in Metro Manila while running his YouTube channel, Doc Willie Ong. He remains one of the most recognized medical voices in the Philippines.
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