Sunday, June 12, 2011

Ethnic tribesman in Zamboanga is world smallest, says Guinness


Junrey Balawing stands side by side with the family rooster in Zamboanga del Norte's Sindangan town in this photo posted from the website of the Guinness Book of World Records. Link: http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Worlds-shortest-man-All-you-need-to-know-about-Junrey-Balawing/blog/4001902/7691.html


ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 12, 2011) – An ethnic Subanen man that stands bare 24 inches was named as the world’s smallest by the Guinness Book of World Records.

The 18-year old Junrey Balawing, who lives in the coastal town of Sindangan, was officially included in the record book on Sunday, which coincided with his birthday that fell on the anniversary of the Philippines 113 Independence Day.

The man stood just a little over her sister’s knees and almost the size of the family rooster, but his new found fame brought extra media attention after several teams from Guinness went all the way to the province to confirm the record.

His neighbors were also surprised by the attention Junrey was getting from local and foreign press since they knew little or none at all about the Guinness Book of World Records.

And with fame, the man’s family hoped to get medical attention for Junrey, who according to local doctors could be suffering from endocrine imbalance and lack of growth hormone.

Junrey could hardly walk because of his condition and never went to school, and like other normal children in the neighborhood, would like to spend some time vacationing, but the family is poor and his father Reynaldo works as a freelance carpenter, while his wife looks after their children.

But for Junrey’s father, the son is their king – his name taken from the month in June that he was born, and Rey, the Spanish word for King – that will bring new hope that his eldest son would find happiness in his life despite his being the smallest man in the world. (Mindanao Examiner)

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