Hundreds of boys in a Philippine city turned today for a daylong “circumcision party” to provide a safe, free procedure for a rite of passage that most local males undergo as preteens.

Some boys cried in their mothers’ arms while others bit their shirts to stifle sobs as doctors carried out the surgery on dozens of makeshift operating tables inside a sports stadium in Marikina city east of Manila. Outside, other boys lined up to await their turn.