Antoinette Taus slams solar taxes, calls for urgent reforms as she leads Independence Day push for affordable clean energy.
“Don’t tax the sun. Solar ‘wag buwisan,” says a placard raised by former TV actress and environmental advocate Antoinette Taus, registering her call for accessible renewable energy and slamming the systemic hurdles that keep solar power a luxury for the average Filipino.
Speaking at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on the eve of Philippine Independence Day, Taus spearheaded the reading of the “Manifesto for Affordable, Accessible, Efficient and Safe Solar Power for all Filipinos.”
The demonstration marked the official launch of the “Sayang ang Araw: Gawing Mura ang Solar” campaign, a movement resolutely demanding concrete government reforms to democratize access to rooftop solar power.
In a speech linking genuine national freedom to energy independence, Taus denounced the irony of a sun-rich nation crippled by oppressive power costs.
“Pilipinas, lupa ka ng araw, ng luwalhati at pagsinta. Ngayo’y pinagkaitan ng kalayaang linangin ang iyong liwanag,” she declared. She stressed that while sunlight is free, Filipinos are constantly hampered by unjust taxes, unreasonable added expenses, and bureaucratic installation processes.
“Kaya sa bisperas ng araw ng kalayaan, nagkakaisa tayo para sa bagong kalayaan. Kalayaan mula sa mahal na kuryente, kalayaan tungo sa kaginhawaan. Ito ang solar na hinihingi natin para sa lahat: mura, madali, mabilis, maayos, mas ligtas,” Taus recited.
This advocacy highlights a profound evolution from Taus’s early days as a 1990s showbiz darling. First rising to fame as a child star on TV sketch comedy “Ang TV,” she cemented her pop culture legacy on dramas “T.G.I.S.” and “Anna Karenina,” famously forming a blockbuster on-screen loveteam with Dingdong Dantes.
Today, she channels her platform entirely into climate action and social development. As the first-ever Philippine National Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the founder of the non-profit organization CORA, Taus actively champions biodiversity, fights plastic pollution, and uplifts marginalized communities.
The “Sayang ang Araw” initiative she now fronts is collectively backed by a formidable alliance of civil society organizations, industry representatives, and environmental groups.
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