World’s shortest man alive

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Europe

08:06

Junrey Balawing is 26 years old but still looks like an infant. He stopped growing when he was only a year old.

In 2011, he was declared as the shortest man alive by the Guinness World Records.

The Guinness declaration and the accompanying media coverage helped improve the lives of Junrey and his other family members.

Junrey's parents were offered jobs in Dapitan City, while Junrey was given a role at a theme park, where he was paired with a giant man.

Junrey Balawing and his family /CGTN Photo

Junrey's siblings – a brother and two sisters - are all of average sizes.

Junrey's Father, Reynaldo Bulawing, told Assignment Asia: "Even though I take care of him like a baby, we talked to him like an adult. We would argue if we wouldn't get what the other one wants to say. All of his younger siblings call him elder brother. They respect him. But they can't do nonsense things with him since he has his temper."

His family tried to send him to school but withdrew him after he became a source of distraction to other children.

Doctors believe he suffers from proportionate dwarfism due to a malfunctioning pituitary gland, which is responsible for physical growth.

Assignment Asia is CGTN's award-winning current affairs program featuring long-form stories and documentaries on some of the most pressing issues in the region. The show airs Saturdays at 1330 and 2130 GMT, with replays every Sunday at 0630, Monday at 0130, and Tuesday at 0530.