Beauty finds true love in artist with Treacher Collins Syndrome

He is not your regular prince charming.

With his eyes sinking downwards and his face partially deformed, Jojo was far from anyone's dream guy.

At 33, Jojo is well aware of how he looks.

"Minsan pinagtatawanan ako ng mga tao, yung mga hindi nakakakilala sa akin. Nasasaktan ako minsan, pero hindi ko na lang pinapansin. Si Lord na po ang bahala sa kanila. Basta wala akong ginagawang masama sa kanila, (Sometimes, strangers make fun of me. Their words are painful but I’d rather not listen to them. I leave everything to God. I’m not doing anything bad.) " he said.

Jojo is diagnosed with Treacher Collins Syndrome, which is caused by a mutation in the genes as a fetus. His cheeks and jaw are deformed, and so is his ear, leaving only a hole through which he can hear with difficulty.

Another one of the complications of his disorder is his cleft palate, which makes it difficult for him to speak.

Because of this, Jojo grew up a loner.

This led to him take solace in a form of art he'd prove to be exceptionally good at: drawing.

Antonina, Jojo’s mother, said this built up Jojo’s self-esteem.

"Baka it’s God’s will. (Maybe, it’s God’s will). I’m very proud of Jojo because of his talents," she said.

Like any other artist, Jojo needed inspiration for his art. Usually he draws portraits and landscapes of Bohol.

But eventually he found a muse in Cheche, not her real name.

His siblings were thrilled. They said that they were glad that despite his physical appearance, someone could appreciate Jojo.

However, it turned out that things weren't as they seemed. One of his siblings, Jenelyn, learned that Cheche had only been using him as a pet project.

The incident only served to drive Jojo further into solitude. He focused on his studies, finishing his degree in Computer Science and eventually becoming his school's resident artist. He is one of two artists who designed his university's logo.

Little did Jojo know that there was someone who admired him from afar.

Marisa, a student at the school, liked him at their first meeting, as Jojo remained oblivious.

She was the one who made the first move and added him in Facebook.

"Ang gusto ko kay Marisa friendly siya. Masayahing babae. Gumaan ang loob ko sa kanya. Siya ay mabuting babae. Palangiti at hindi maarte, (What I like about Marisa is that she’s friendly and easygoing. She’s a genuine woman who’s always smiling and isn’t picky.)" he added.

Marisa would visit Jojo in his workstation and the two became really good friends. They even went on trips together in Tagbiliran City, where they would spend the day walking and eating.

Eventually, the two fell in love and they cemented their relationship.

There was no escape from the judgement of others, but they brushed off their opinions.

Just like any other couples, Marisa and Jojo also face challenges in their relationship.

But despite everything, Marisa has already made her decision and isn't keen on changing it.

"Pipiliin ko pa rin si Jojo, (I will always choose Jojo)" she said.

He's not your regular prince charming.

But Jojo and Marisa's love story is better than any fairy tale -- simply because it's real. — GMA News