Jose Vicente D. Mapa III,[1] who is better known by his screen name Jao Mapa (born February 17, 1976), is a Filipino actor. He is also an accomplished painter.
Mapa is best known for his Pepsi-Cola advertisement. He started a modeling career in the late 1990s, and co-hosted television variety shows like Eat Bulaga! and ASAP. He first starred in the movie Pare Ko in 1995, and left show business in 2000 to study art. He expected to be back on television screen via Sine Novela: Trudis Liit aired on GMA Network.
In 2000, he took a break from his showbiz career and went back to school to earn his degree in Fine Arts (major in Advertising) at the University of Santo Tomas. He graduated in 2003 and continued to paint. He had his first major show at Grey Gallery in Antipolo, Rizal in 2012.
Mapa's life story was feature in TV5's Star Confessions, was portrayed by Martin Escudero.
He graduated at the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Fine Arts, majoring in advertising. His younger brother, Diego Mapa, is also a known musician and plays for the bands Monsterbot, Pedicab and Cambio. He is married to Cecille and has three children, namely, Benjamin, Caleb and Amber Marie.[2][3]