This document chronicles the centuries-long development of the concept and selection of a national language in the Philippines. It is a scholarly work originally written as part of a doctoral thesis by Dr. Ernest J. Frei, and later officially reprinted and published in 1959 by the Institute of National Language, the government body established to cultivate and propagate the national language. The text is a comprehensive analysis that traces the language problem from the conflicting policies of Spanish friars and the Spanish Crown in the 16th century, through the American colonial era and the debate over English as the medium of instruction. The study culminates with the Commonwealth period, detailing the process through the Constitutional Convention, the passage of the National Language Act (Commonwealth Act No. 184), the creation of the Institute of National Language, and the ultimate proclamation of Tagalog as the basis for the national language. The publication served as an authoritative historical foundation for the government's efforts in promoting the new language, Filipino, to foster national unity and sentiment.
The historical development of the Philippine national language