MANILA, Philippines—Officials say hundreds of boys in Marikina City have turned out for a daylong “circumcision party.”
A boy tries to control himself as doctors work on him during a free circumcision surgery Saturday in Marikina City. AP/Pat Roque
The event aims to promote safe circumcision in a country where the surgery is sometimes performed by non-doctors using crude methods.
Some boys cried in their mothers’ arms while others bit their shirts to stifle sobs as doctors carried out the free surgery Saturday on dozens of makeshift operating tables inside a sports stadium. Outside, other boys lined up to await their turn.
Officials say at least 1,500 boys from 9 years old and up registered and more than 500 were circumcised before noon.
Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz says the city has applied for a Guinness World Record for most people at a circumcision event.