18 YEAR OLD WINS TITLE OF THE WORLD'S SHORTEST MAN AT 23.5 INCHES TALL!

A Filipino man who stands less than two feet tall got an 18th birthday gift Sunday from Guinness World Records - the official title of world's shortest man.

Junrey Balawing, a blacksmith's son from the village of Sindangan in the southern Phillipines, stands just 23.5 inches tall and mysteriously stopped growing when he was two months old, his parents said.

Balawing got the title of world's shortest adult man from Guinness officials at a ceremony in his coastal town, where he was feted with roast pigs, cake, balloons, and gifts.

"Thank you," said Balawing, who has the demeanor of a child and blew out the candles on his cake after repeated attempts.

He took the shortest man title from Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who is 2 feet, 4.4 inches tall. Previous shortest man Pingping, who was 2 feet, 5 inches, gained international fame before he died last year at age 21.

Guinness editor-in-chief Craig Glenday presented Balawing with a certificate after he was officially measured in a town hall ceremony. "Although he's short, he takes that in stride," Glenday said. "He has this cheeky smile."

Balawing's parents said he stopped growing two months after his birth, and first walked with his parents' help when he was 5. He still has to prop himself up on something to stand because his knees are weak, and was taken out of school at an early age after other kids gawked at him.

His siblings are average height, and it's unclear what condition led to his short stature. Sindaghan Vice Mayor Bess Jagonio speculated it might be an endocrine disorder.

Balawing's mom shed some tears during the ceremony, saying she was pleased with her son's new-found fame.



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