Philippine 'circumcision season' underway after virus delays

A boy is seen reacting as he is circumcised during a mass circumcision at a covered court in Silang town, Cavite province. The Philippines has one of the highest rates of circumcision in the world, with many seeing the centuries-old practice as key for boys to enter manhood. - AFP

SILANG (Philippines) Aug 30 (AFP): For more than a year, Caspien Gruta has been teased because his circumcision -- a rite of passage for boys in the Philippines -- was delayed, first by a volcanic eruption and then the coronavirus pandemic.

"I worry if I don't get circumcised now, I will be shamed," said Gruta, 12.