Tuli (rite)
Encyclopedia
Tulì is a Filipino
rite of male circumcision
. It has a long historical tradition and is considered a rite of passage; boys who have not undergone the ritual are labelled supót and face ridicule from their peers.
Circumcision is not considered a religious rite as most Filipinos sub scribe
to Roman Catholicism
, a denomination that does not require it. A theory posits that the prevalence of the rite is due to Islam
, which was arrived in the islands 200 before Christianity.
More affluent parents opt to have their children circumcised as neonates in hospital, but the majority prefer that their sons undergo the tradition at around 5-7 years of age. Boys of the same age group would either go to government-sponsored missions, hospitals, or to a local circumciser.
The Philippines Department of Health
sponsors an annual Operation Tuli project to circumcise boys; others assist and provide the service for free.
The traditional circumciser would tell the patient to chew guava
leaves and then simply cut off the foreskin of the boy with a sharp knife. The boy is then to wash off in the cold waters of a nearby river and to apply the masticated guava leaves as a poultice
on the wound.
Newly-circumcised boys usually wear housedresses or loose skirts to help in the healing. The swelling that might occur during this period is termed pangángamatis, literally, "becoming like a tomato (kamatis)" owing to the reddish appearance of the penis.
The rite has been the subject of the award-winning film Tuli (film) by Auraeus Solito
.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
rite of male circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
. It has a long historical tradition and is considered a rite of passage; boys who have not undergone the ritual are labelled supót and face ridicule from their peers.
Circumcision is not considered a religious rite as most Filipinos sub scribe
Religion in the Philippines
Religion in the Philippines are spiritual beliefs held by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Hindus, Buddhists, animists, Muslims, Aglipayans,Protestant and Catholic...
to Roman Catholicism
Roman Catholicism in the Philippines
The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope.With 73.8 million members in 2005, it is the predominant religion, making the Philippines the third largest "Catholic" nation in the world after Brazil and Mexico, as well as one...
, a denomination that does not require it. A theory posits that the prevalence of the rite is due to Islam
Islam in the Philippines
Islam is the oldest recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines between the 12th and 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from Persian Gulf and the Malabar Coast in Southern India, and their followers from several sultanate governments in the Malay...
, which was arrived in the islands 200 before Christianity.
More affluent parents opt to have their children circumcised as neonates in hospital, but the majority prefer that their sons undergo the tradition at around 5-7 years of age. Boys of the same age group would either go to government-sponsored missions, hospitals, or to a local circumciser.
The Philippines Department of Health
Department of Health (Philippines)
The Philippines’ Department of Health is the principal health agency in the Philippines. It is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services to all Filipinos through the provision of quality health care and the regulation of...
sponsors an annual Operation Tuli project to circumcise boys; others assist and provide the service for free.
The traditional circumciser would tell the patient to chew guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
leaves and then simply cut off the foreskin of the boy with a sharp knife. The boy is then to wash off in the cold waters of a nearby river and to apply the masticated guava leaves as a poultice
Poultice
A poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts...
on the wound.
Newly-circumcised boys usually wear housedresses or loose skirts to help in the healing. The swelling that might occur during this period is termed pangángamatis, literally, "becoming like a tomato (kamatis)" owing to the reddish appearance of the penis.
The rite has been the subject of the award-winning film Tuli (film) by Auraeus Solito
Auraeus Solito
Auraeus Solito is a filmmaker and indigenous peoples rights advocate who comes from a lineage of Shaman-Kings from the Palawan tribe but is one of the first to be born outside of his tribal land of South Palawan...
.