“Just Tiis” sounds a lot like “justice.” That is the joke. When we pointed it out, Filipino author Rommel V. Carrera answered, “Nice catch on both!” The name of his superhero series, Just Tiis Pilipinas, nods to superhero fandom and the Justice League. It is also a pun for painfully shy nerds: the ones who like someone but are too awkward to say so, so they just tiis (Tagalog for endure) and keep quiet. If you have ever had a crush and said nothing, you already get it.
Underneath the joke is a heavier meaning. For Rommel, tiis is what Filipinos do every day: endure corruption, poor infrastructure, deception by people in power, and the unforgiving opinion of social media.
“The greatest superpower of Filipinos is enduring all these on a daily basis.”
That idea drives Just Tiis Pilipinas, an independently published Filipino superhero novel series about five teenagers whose powers grow out of their worst habits. It also comes with its own soundtrack. Rommel wrote all the music and recorded it himself, singing and playing every instrument.
Rommel V. Carrera at a glance
- Form and genre: Superhero novel series with teenage heroes, monsters from Philippine folklore, and an original soundtrack
- Notable works: The Just Tiis Pilipinas books JUST-TIIS Pilipinas: Heroes, Monsters and Puppet-Masters, Hatred is the Villain, and Missed Universe; the albums Just Tiis Pilipinas (as The Bratcave) and Just Tiis Pilipinas OST
- Publisher or self-published: Independently published
Get to know Rommel V. Carrera
- The album came first. Before there was a book, there was a pop concept album about “defective superheroes.”
- He is the whole band. He wrote all the music and did all the recording, singing and playing every instrument.
- The title is a double joke. One half is the Justice League. The other half is for shy nerds who can’t confess to a crush.
- He has a day job. He writes the words and the music while juggling a full-time job and other interests.
- His monster for modern Filipinos? Calamities first, then corruption, then “hassle.”
How did Rommel V. Carrera start Just Tiis Pilipinas?
It started as music. Rommel first made a pop concept album about “defective superheroes.” You can find it on Spotify as Just Tiis Pilipinas by The Bratcave.
The book came next, and not the way he planned. Rommel went looking for collaborators who could write stories, scripts, or comics around the concept. He ended up writing the whole book himself.
Once he was writing, he set a goal: make the book as close to a cinematic experience as possible. The pictures would play in the reader’s imagination. The music would be real.
What is Just Tiis Pilipinas about?
Meet Josh, Maritess, David, Cho and Allan. Their powers come from the habits that used to get them in trouble, like being tsismosa (a gossip), being plastik (fake or two-faced), and pulling pranks.
Rommel built his heroes this way on purpose. “Society stigmatizes character flaws, and in many cases, uses them as nicknames: tsismosa, siga, plastik.” [tsismosa: gossip; siga: show-off tough guy; plastik: fake or two-faced] “I thought it would be unique and interesting to ‘weaponize’ flaws.”
He wanted to see what decent people with good intentions would do if they were handed powers that highlight their flaws, and then told those powers are needed to “save the world.” He saw it as a character study. “And in this case, the character studies drove the plot of the book.”
In this series, powers don’t make anyone better. They make people more of who they already are. Rommel ties that to how modern society works: you get “success” or get paid by developing what you see as your most useful traits. He wanted to push his characters to use those traits outside their comfort zones and see how they would react. “I also wanted to use the lens of teenagers who can still embrace possibilities with wild abandon.”
If you have ever been teased with a nickname for your worst habit, these five are your heroes.
Monsters from the island, monsters from the news
In Just Tiis Pilipinas, monsters take the shape of people’s greatest fears. On this island, those fears look like creatures from Philippine folklore: the Tikbalang, a tall creature with the head of a horse; the Manananggal, a winged creature that separates from its lower body to fly at night; and the Berbalang, a ghoul from the folklore of the southern Philippines.
We asked Rommel what monster he would create for what Filipinos fear today. His answer has no fangs or wings. He named calamities first: floods, earthquakes, typhoons. Then corruption. Last came “hassle,” the dread of daily struggles with transportation, traffic, and poor working conditions. If you have ever lost hours of your day to traffic on the way to work, you have met that third monster.
The book also asks whether monsters are born or created, and whether they should be saved or destroyed. Rommel’s answer to the first question is both. He believes nature, meaning physiological and psychological conditions, and nurture, meaning society and manipulation, create the real monsters in society. On the second, he is direct: “Monsters should be kept away from society, and in my opinion, is the best way to save them.”
Who pulls the strings in Rommel V. Carrera’s story?
The first book is called JUST-TIIS Pilipinas: Heroes, Monsters and Puppet-Masters. In the story, the puppet masters are the religious leaders who “created” both the heroes and the monsters.
Rommel sees the same thing outside the book, mainly in politics and religion. He points to leaders who can shape people’s opinions and actions, and eventually policies, legislation, and in extreme cases, culture: what to eat, how to dress, how to act.
From banter to the first big loss
The early chapters are full of banter between the five friends. Then the hardships pile up, one after another. Rommel flags this next part as a mild spoiler: the first major tragedy hits around the middle of the book.
That turn is where the heroes grow. They discover their powers more deeply. More important, they discover their strength of character as individuals and how much they depend on each other as a group.
Rommel sees it as a metaphor for real life. School and teenage life can be fairly calm, with small stakes. Then real life hits you.
“And you sink or swim, either alone, or with your friends.”
How does Rommel V. Carrera’s soundtrack work with the book?
Rommel describes Just Tiis Pilipinas as the only superhero novel with its own soundtrack. Readers reach the music through QR codes in the book.
He gave tracks to the moments that matter most. Key emotions get music: vengeance, anger, guilt. So do key ideas the kids talk about, like “a Beautiful Death.” So do the monsters, whenever they appear. Most of these are instrumental, semi-classical pieces, collected on Spotify as Just Tiis Pilipinas OST.
Every note is his. “I wrote all the music, and did all the recording: singing and playing all the instruments.” That includes the main theme, “Just Tiis Pilipinas.”
If you have ever wished a book came with a score, this one does.
Why did Rommel V. Carrera publish as an indie author?
For Rommel, the hardest part of making Just Tiis Pilipinas has nothing to do with superpowers. It’s time. He juggles a full-time job with other interests, and the series needs both words and music.
He chose to publish independently for a simple reason. “I wanted to put this out as quickly as possible, to keep the ideas fresh, and the cycle time to go through big publishers is just too long.”
The series has kept moving. The story continues in Hatred is the Villain and Missed Universe.
What’s next for Just Tiis Pilipinas?
Rommel has started a fourth book. He has also started a spin-off for one of the minor characters.
He is thinking past the page, too. He is looking at pitching Just Tiis Pilipinas for translation, and for other media like comics, animation, and film.
Which minor character gets a book of their own? He didn’t say. Catch up on the series and the soundtrack now, so you’re ready when he tells us.
FAQ
Who is Rommel V. Carrera?
Rommel V. Carrera is a Filipino indie author and musician. He created Just Tiis Pilipinas, a superhero novel series about five teenagers whose powers come from their worst habits. He also wrote and recorded the music that goes with the books, singing and playing every instrument himself. He writes the books and the music while working a full-time job.
What is Just Tiis Pilipinas about?
Just Tiis Pilipinas follows five teenage friends, Josh, Maritess, David, Cho and Allan, whose powers grow out of flaws like gossiping, being fake, and pulling pranks. On their island, monsters take the shape of people’s greatest fears, including the Tikbalang and the Manananggal. The puppet masters behind both the heroes and the monsters are religious leaders.
Where can I listen to the Just Tiis Pilipinas soundtrack?
Both albums are on Spotify. Just Tiis Pilipinas, credited to The Bratcave, is the pop concept album about “defective superheroes” that came before the book. Just Tiis Pilipinas OST, credited to Rommel V Carrera, collects the mostly instrumental, semi-classical pieces written for key moments in the novel. QR codes in the book lead readers to the music.
Support Rommel V. Carrera
- Listen to the concept album: Just Tiis Pilipinas by The Bratcave on Spotify
- Listen to the soundtrack: Just Tiis Pilipinas OST by Rommel V Carrera on Spotify
- Read the series: JUST-TIIS Pilipinas: Heroes, Monsters and Puppet-Masters, Hatred is the Villain, and Missed Universe
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