Bill seeks body to harmonize development in Northern Luzon

A measure has been filed in the House of Representatives seeking to establish a long-term body to harmonize development planning and tourism promotion in Northern Luzon.

House Bill No. 3109, introduced by Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos, proposes the creation of the Northern Luzon Development Authority (NLDA). The agency would cover the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, and Cagayan Valley, with its headquarters in San Fernando City, La Union, and satellite offices in Tuguegarao City and Baguio City.

Under the proposal, the NLDA would have a renewable 50-year mandate and would coordinate with local government units, national agencies, private stakeholders, and civil society to accelerate socio-economic progress in the area. Tourism development would serve as a central pillar of its mandate, reflecting the sector’s potential to create jobs, preserve cultural heritage, and promote inclusive growth.

The bill designates the authority to identify and promote heritage towns, natural parks, cultural landscapes, and coastal and mountain destinations. It would also oversee investment in tourism infrastructure such as access roads, terminals, accommodations, and visitor centers, while providing support for community-based tourism groups and small enterprises, particularly those led by women, youth, and indigenous peoples.

Bernos said the measure responds to the region’s fragmented governance and uneven progress despite its wealth of natural and cultural assets. She noted that earlier mechanisms such as the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle were abolished without institutional successors, leaving Northern Luzon without a comprehensive development framework.

“The regions of Northern Luzon are endowed with abundant natural resources, cultural richness, and human capital. Despite this, the area continues to face developmental disparities, limited infrastructure, and fragmented governance,” Bernos said in a statement.

She added that institutionalizing the NLDA would harmonize regional strengths under a single framework, positioning Northern Luzon as a unified hub of tourism, culture, and economic development.

The measure is now pending deliberation in the House.