Manila: Around 3,500 residents from the upland barangays of the Municipality of Alimodian stand to benefit from the PHP52.7 million bridge project funded under the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP). The Philippine government provided a counterpart fund of PHP4.57 million, while the provincial government contributed PHP11.5 million. Eighty percent of the total project was financed by the PRDP. According to Philippines News Agency, the 60-linear-meter pre-stressed bridge in Barangay Cabacanan was formally inaugurated on Tuesday, led by Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. It will serve as a lifeline to connect farmers and Indigenous people communities of Cabacanan and nearby barangays in the "Seven Cities" to wider markets. The 'Seven Cities' refer to the cluster of mountainous barangays, namely Cabacanan Proper, Tabug, Uminggan, Dao, Lico, Manasa, and Cabacanan Rizal, known for their production of high-value crops. "The agricultural area that could benefit from the bridge is 345 hectares, and the be neficiary is around 3,500," Iloilo Provincial Engineer Romeo Andig said in an interview on Wednesday. Andig said that before the completion of the concrete bridge, people had to cross the Aganan River through a hanging bridge every time the water was high. Otherwise, they need to wait for several days for the water to subside. "We constructed a quality and resilient bridge," he added. Along with the bridge project was a multi-purpose gymnasium that provides a venue for community gatherings, sports, and disaster response operations. It is eyed to become a hub for civic activities and an emergency shelter during calamities. The provincial engineer recalled that the inclusion of the project in the PRDP was pushed by the late Iloilo 2nd district Rep. Arcadio Gorriceta and former Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. In July, the provincial government also inaugurated the PHP59.918 million state-of-the-art slaughterhouse facility in Sitio So-oc, Barangay Lambuyao in Oton town. The double "AA" abattoir was also funded und er PRDP. PRDP also funds the ongoing slaughterhouse project in the municipality of Sta. Barbara.