{"id":9309,"date":"2011-06-12T21:06:04","date_gmt":"2011-06-12T21:06:04","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2011-06-12T21:06:04","modified_gmt":"2011-06-12T21:06:04","slug":"World-s-shortest-man-is-Filipino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=9309","title":{"rendered":"World’s shortest man is Filipino"},"content":{"rendered":"

A poor Filipino blacksmith’s son who is fractionally less than 60 centimetres (two feet) tall was declared the world’s shortest man by Guinness World Records on his 18th birthday yesterday<\/strong>, sparking a celebration in his hometown.<\/p>\n

The title was bestowed on Junrey Balawing in Sindangan in the southern Philippines<\/strong>, with his parents, villagers and officials showering the coastal town’s newly famous resident with a feast of roasted pigs and seafood, cake, balloons and cash gifts.<\/p>\n

Mr. Balawing was measured at 23.59 inches, or 59.93 centimeters tall<\/strong> during the ceremony attended by about 100 villagers and journalists at the town hall.<\/p>\n

The Guinness World Records representative, Craig Glenday, presented Mr. Balawing<\/strong> with official recognition of his status as the shortest adult man in the world, with the framed certificate nearly reaching the ears of the recipient.<\/p>\n

Mr. Balawing<\/strong>, who wore a white shirt emblazoned with the Guinness seal, took over the title from Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal<\/strong>, who is 67 centimeters tall, Mr Glenday said.<\/p>\n