He has autism, and his family began to understand that, unlike other kids his age, Jose was never going to write an essay on history or memorise the planets in the solar system. His brain just didn't work that way and he wasn't being given much support at school.
His mother, Girlie, always saw Jose's autism as a positive force and says it brought her family closer. When it became clear that Jose was autistic, she wasn't disappointed, but when she told her friends they looked at her with pity.
"It's OK, I don't feel bad, to me he's the same, just another child I have," she would tell them.
She was concerned about what she could do for Jose, now 22, to ensure he had security in the future because, at the time, the options for autistic children in the Philippines were limited.
The family decided they could open a cafe, and Girlie put the business in the hands of her six children, including Jose, who is a part-owner and waiter for a few afternoons a week. Her plan is that in the future her children will keep the cafe going and continue to support Jose in his work.