It’s circumcision season. Many adolescent Filipinos will again, line up (with dread) before a local quack doctor (or just any elder who is unfazed by blood and possesses a sharp bolo and a suitable chopping rod), to bade their foreskin farewell. The cutting is usually fast, without anesthesia, and preferably done by the river where the wounded can wash up and apply a very potent and effective Filipino antiseptic called “chewed guava leaves”.
City boys are far luckier, as circumcision is done in the comforts of a clinic, where the most painful part of the process is the sting of an anesthesia injection.
Prescription pain killers, antiseptic-laced bandages and medicines to stop the bleeding also make the entire exercise, almost painless.
Summer is conveniently circumcision primetime in the Philippines. The two month reprieve from school allows wounds to heal. It also gives young boys ample time to decide, or get persuaded (or coerced by parents) to undergo circumcision. Folk dictum says it is the proverbial right of passage to manhood; the first fear a
real man must conquer. In a predominantly catholic country, the need to “get cut” is also a biblical word that has to be made flesh.
real man must conquer. In a predominantly catholic country, the need to “get cut” is also a biblical word that has to be made flesh.Doctors also recommend circumcision for hygienic purposes. The foreskin traps bacteria and other infectious agents that can lead to serious illnesses, both to the man and his babe. Recent studies show, that the Papiloma virus which causes certain cervical cancers can be contracted from bacteria courtesy of an uncut penis.
The more popular Filipino culture encourages circumcision for aesthetic purposes. For many Filipino women, there is something about an unpeeled banana that potentially ruins “the moment”. Such is the importance of circumcision in a country where a man’s mark (V or German?) draws the thin line between awe and ridicule; where the word “supot” (uncut, derogatory) has no place in a Pinoy macho man’s dictionary.
All these contribute to the popularity of circumcision among Filipino men. The Center for Disease Control in the United States in its study in 2007 rates circumcision as prevalent in 93% of Filipinos. The high rate transcends economic classes, unlike in western countries like the U.S., where circumcision is more common in men belonging to higher income groups. Largely circumcision, which is considered surgery albeit, minor, can still be costly.
The more popular Filipino culture encourages circumcision for aesthetic purposes. For many Filipino women, there is something about an unpeeled banana that potentially ruins “the moment”. Such is the importance of circumcision in a country where a man’s mark (V or German?) draws the thin line between awe and ridicule; where the word “supot” (uncut, derogatory) has no place in a Pinoy macho man’s dictionary.
All these contribute to the popularity of circumcision among Filipino men. The Center for Disease Control in the United States in its study in 2007 rates circumcision as prevalent in 93% of Filipinos. The high rate transcends economic classes, unlike in western countries like the U.S., where circumcision is more common in men belonging to higher income groups. Largely circumcision, which is considered surgery albeit, minor, can still be costly.ABS CBN Regional Network Group brings free circumcision to the masses, as its 18 broadcast stations all over the country hold “KALUSUGAN PATROL” Medical Mission with “Operation Tuli”, a free circumcision drive for boys aged 8 and up.
ABS CBN Regional Network Group’s partner doctors will make men out of boys this month of April. Inquire about our free circumcision at your nearest ABS CBN Regional Network Group station today.
