Lawmakers on Monday approved on third reading a bill granting a 25-year franchise to the Solar Para sa Bayan Corp. sought by founder Leandro Leviste, son of Sen. Loren Legarda.

With 198 affirmative votes, seven negative votes and one abstention, lawmakers approved House Bill 8179 granting Solar Para sa Bayan a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain distributable power technologies and minigrid systems throughout the Philippines to improve access to sustainable energy.