Guinness rejects Marikina City's ‘circumcision party’ — report

Due to hygiene concerns, the Guinness World Book of Records has rejected Marikina City's bid to set a record for a new world record for the most number of boys taking part in a so-called "Tule (Circumcision) Party." According to a report by AOL.com, Guinness does not recognize the “number of medical procedures within a set period of time or in a mass group due to hygiene considerations and risks." Medical procedures should be done after a doctor’s advice, and patients’ well-being should always be the principal concern, AOL.com quoted Guinness as saying. On May 7, the Marikina government sponsored a free circumcision for more than 1,500 boys in a sports stadium in the city. Although Guinness had expressed concerns that the “circumcision party" might lead to unsafe conditions, Marikina government officials said the event was a safe alternative to surgeries, which are sometimes performed by non-doctors. The AOL.com report said Guiness believes that the event was a means for poor families to save money. In private hospitals, it would cost a patient some $40 for the procedure, it added. Marikina — touted as the country’s shoemaking capital — has already been in the international limelight, when it created the world’s biggest pair of shoes in 2002. - Jesse Edep, VVP, GMA News