  Using a data sample of $4.48\times10^{8}$ $\psip$ events collected with the
BESIII detector, we present a first observation of $\psi(3686)\to
p\bar{p}\phi$, and we measure its branching fraction to be $[6.06\pm0.38
($stat.$) \pm 0.48 ($syst.$)]\times10^{-6}$. In contrast to the earlier
discovery of a threshold enhancement in the $p\bar{p}$-mass spectrum of the
channel $J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar p$, denoted as $X(p\bar{p})$, we do not find a
similar enhancement in $\psi(3686)\to p\bar{p}\phi$. An upper limit of
$1.82\times10^{-7}$ at the $90\%$ confidence level on the branching fraction of
$\psi(3686)\to X(p\bar{p})\phi\to p\bar{p}\phi$ is obtained.
