Here's a breakdown:
* Basis: Filipino is based on Tagalog, a language spoken by a large part of the population in the Philippines.
* Early Efforts: Several individuals played a role in promoting Tagalog as a national language, including:
* Lope K. Santos: A key figure in standardizing Tagalog grammar and vocabulary. He is often considered the "father" of modern Tagalog, which laid the foundation for Filipino.
* Jose Rizal: His writings in Tagalog helped solidify its status as a literary language.
* National Language: Filipino was officially declared the national language of the Philippines in 1937.
* Evolution: Filipino continues to evolve, absorbing influences from other Philippine languages and from English.
It's important to remember that language development is a complex process, involving numerous individuals, cultural influences, and historical events.