1.- Possibly some sort of status symbol - 'See, my parents, or I, have the money to spend on this op.'; just as it was in pre-1939. GB..

-- When I used to patronise NICE GUYS, (now B&N. Massage.), - as it then was - quite regularly one time, and for a bit of fun, I asked the M'san. for a boi who's c'cised.. 'You mean the 'skin. rolls-back?'. "No - he's been cut by a Dr.", using my fingers to illustrate. The M'san. had to ask amongst the dozen or so assembled boyz for anyone who was c'cised.; one boi raised his hand and I chose him, from I-San and a non-Muslim as it happened.

2.- In the RP. it's refered to as 'The Gateway to Manhood.'; having seen photos. of semi-public mass-c'cisions., often with no anaesthetics, carried-out at the behest of wannabee politicians - vote-buying? - or gps. such as the Rotarians, it's v. much a test of Manhood,with the boyz being held-down by their friends.
- In some rural parts it's carried-out annually on Maundy Thursday, the post-op. a'noon. is spent in some icy-cold pool to dull the pain; on Good Friday the newly c'cised. youths are the ones given the respondibility of supporting the statues etc. of the suffering Christ, the BVM., local Saints and so on.

-- In my foster grand-sons' village, in farthest DAVAO, a travelling Dr. passed-by and offered to c'cise. any youths who were ready for it. Several youths submitted.
- Some days later they all had dripping sores from the wounds; the youth whose educ'n. I'm sponsoring had the means to go quickly to the local hospital for trtmnt.; the others were not so lucky, some parents managed to raise loans on their ptys.. An hue and cry was raised, and with suitable encouragememt - just like here in TH.! - the local police eventually apprehended the Dr.. One of my g.-sons, who's training to be an atty., ret'd. to the village to offer counselling and support. The case went-up before His Honor and surprisingly quickly for the RP. - where justice can move as slowly as snails in treacle - the accused was found guilty and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

-- Quite by chance, one day, I was wandering idly around one of the many run-down shopping-malls in MNL. in wch. there were several dealers in antiques - 'Caveat emptor.'! - one of them had an olde looking & wooden statue that was over 200yrs. old, or so I was assured - ha! That man was c'cised. all too obviously and in gt. detail.
-- Bibi. --

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