Manila, Feb. 28 -- Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates gathered on Friday in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan to discuss their platforms for supporting the city's expansion, tackling issues such as healthcare, budget allocation, infrastructure, and governance.

Former Senate president Tito Sotto emphasized the importance of the "Doktor Para sa Bayan" medical scholarship program, a law he principally authored, in addressing healthcare needs, noting that San Jose del Monte is the largest city of Bulacan in terms of population and land area.

He also noted the importance of Senate oversight, pointing out discrepancies in scholar allocations.

"Kasi dapat ideally 40, 40 scholars per medical school nationwide lalo na dito sa...