Philippines’ circumcision season begins. Is it a rite of passage for boys or child abuse?
- Thousands of preteens from poor families go through the operation for free at government clinics
- The pressure manifests itself in the Tagalog word for ‘uncircumcised’, which is a slur similar to coward
The removal of foreskins is a centuries-old rite of passage to adulthood in the country, which has one of the highest rates of male circumcision in the world.
Yet even as circumcision comes under increasing scrutiny around the world, with critics branding it “child abuse”, it is rarely questioned in the Philippines and boys face tremendous pressure undergo the procedure.
Every year, thousands of preteens from poor families go through the operation for free at government or community-sponsored clinics.
“I was shouting the whole time because it hurt so bad,” Vladimir Vincent Arbon said after his 20-minute ordeal. “My mum told me that I need to get circumcised so I would grow taller and become a real man.”
He was among 1,500 boys who underwent the procedure in one city near Manila, but the scenes are similar in clinics nationwide.
