Origins of the Tagalog People, where are we with this?

Tagalog is part of the Central Philippine Language group which includes the various Visayan languages, Bikol languages, and Mansakan languages.  This group also as a whole may have been the last great wave of Austronesian languages to arrive to the Philippines in pre-colonial times.  In general these languages have a southern origin and most likely from Borneo.  We have to remember that Luzon was colonized by the Central Luzon languages (e.g. Kapampangan and Sambali) and Northern Luzon languages (e.g. Ilocano, Pangasinan, and Ibanag) and more correctly their earlier forms, and I'm assuming the Central Luzon and Northern Luzon languages arrived earlier in the Philippines than any of the Central Philippine languages.  The Central and Northern Luzon languages checked the northern progress of any languages coming from the south. 

The Central Philippine Languages perhaps had the most aggressive migration of languages coming from the south.  The Central Philippine Languages appear to have migrated directly into the Visayas, Northeastern Mindanao, and perhaps even the Bicol Peninsula and Batangas of Southern Luzon bypassing the Sulu Archipelago, Palawan, Mindoro, and much of Mindanao.  Although one could argue that other "Southern" languages were already present and well established in those areas thus possibly preventing the Central Philippine languages form settling in those areas (with the exception of Tausug in the Sulu Archipelago, but Tausug migrated from Northeastern Mindanao to the Sulu Archipelago at a much later time).  The Central Philippine Languages belongs to the Greater Central Philippine Languages group which include South Mangyan, Palawanic, Subanen, Danao, Manobo, and the Gorontalo-Mongondow languages of Northern Sulawesi.  These other Greater Central Philippine Languages (South Mangyan, Palawanic, Subanen, Danao, and Manobo) appear to have settled on route or nearby from where the Greater Central Philippine Languages originally come from (presumably Northern Borneo).  As mentioned earlier, this was not the case for the Central Philippine Languages which migrated much further into the Philippines bypassing many areas on the way. 

But I am making a couple of assumptions here.  One assumption is that the Central Philippine Languages arrived later into the Philippines (or at the very least at the same time) compared to the other Greater Central Philippine Languages.  I believe this assumption to be true because many of the Central Philippine Language groups are associated with Buddhism and Hinduism, and to Sri Vijaya and possibly Majapahit, whereas the other Greater Central Philippine Languages (South Mangyan, Palawanic, Subanen, Danao, and Manobo) are not.

The second assumption I'm making is that the other Greater Central Philippine Languages (South Mangyan, Palawanic, Subanen, Danao, and Manobo) never made it into the Visayas and Southern Luzon, and this is why these languages today are only found in Palawan, Mindoro, the Sulu Archipelago, and Mindanao.  My feeling is that these languages did make it into the Visayas and possibly into parts of Southern Luzon, but were likely very small in number, and overran by the arrival of the Central Philippine Languages.  If they had established themselves in large numbers in the Visayas or Southern Luzon, I would imagine there would be proof of it today, although I could be wrong. 

Large regional and even international trade (especially with China) may have been the primary motivation for the migration of the Central Philippine Languages into the Philippines.  This is a contrast to the other "Southern" languages whose arrival in the Philippines may have been more organic or whose interest was more on regional trade across the Sulu Archipelago or Palawan to Borneo.  

Last but not least, the Greater Central Philippine Languages are part of an even larger "Southern" Philippine language group which includes Manide, Ati, the North Mangyan languages, the Kalamian languages, and the South Mindanao Languages.  These other "Southern" Philippine languages (Manide, Ati, North Mangyan, the Kalamian languages, and the South Mindanao languages) likely migrated earlier into the Philippines than any of the Greater Central Philippine Languages.  Wikipedia says it best:

"According to Blust, the current distribution of the Greater Central Philippine languages is the result of an expansion that occurred around 500 B.C. and which led to levelling of much of the linguistic diversity in the central and southern Philippines.

Remnants of this earlier diversity can still be found in relic areas within the Greater Central Philippine area, viz. Manide in southern Luzon, Ati on Panay, the North Mangyan languages on Mindoro, the Kalamian languages in northern Palawan and the South Mindanao languages.^[1] " 

Source:  Greater Central Philippine languages - Wikipedia

These earlier Philippine languages (Manide, Ati, North Mangyan, the Kalamian languages, and the South Mindanao languages) also exhibit a migration pattern of settling in Palawan, Mindoro, and Mindanao (with the exception of Ati in Panay and Manide in the northern area of the Bicol Peninsula) as they entered the Philippines coming from the south.  These earlier Philippine languages may have had some presence in the Visayas and Southern Luzon, but I have feeling they were very small, although we should be open-minded to the possibility of a larger presence which was later overran by the Greater Central Philippine Language group and especially the Central Philippine Languages.    

In conclusion, the arrival of the Central Philippine Languages including Tagalog was likely deliberate and not organic having bypassed many areas in between Northern Borneo and the Visayas, Northeastern Mindanao, and Southern Luzon. 

I should clarify that the arrival of the Central Philippine Languages (Tagalog, the Visayan languages, Bicol languages, and the Mansakan languages) likely predate any Buddhist, Hindu, Sri Vijayan, or Majapahit influence, at least for most of them.  But they were likely later influenced.  The Central Philippine Languages in my opinion probably arrived later compared to other Greater Central Philippine Languages (South Mangyan, Palawanic, Subanen, Danao, and Manobo), and my best argument for this is that they didn't bother to settle in the Sulu Archipelago, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan, and Mindoro.  Why wouldn't they settle these areas first if they arrived earlier?  They're good locations for trade, resources, and wouldn't they want to control the areas between the Philippines and Borneo???  So my thinking is since these areas were already occupied and well established, the Central Philippine Languages (perhaps settling first in Eastern and Central Visayas, and Northeastern Mindanao) opted for areas of less resistance and yet would allow to establish trade within the Philippine Islands but especially with the Manila region and beyond.  This eventually evolved into the Central Philippine Languages settling other Visayan areas and Southern Luzon further cementing their position in the trade network.  

Another reason why the Central Philippine Languages likely arrived later into the Philippines compared to the other Greater Central Philippine Languages is because of the low linguistic diversity in such a large area with several islands.  You would think that if the Central Philippine Languages had arrived 1,500 or 2,000 years ago or more, the linguistic diversity would be greater especially given the island and mountainous geography of the Visayas, Northeastern Mindanao, and Southern Luzon. 

There is a theory that Tagalogs and Kapampangans arrived together to Manila.  From Tagalog people - Wikipedia

• Sumatra or Java - A twin migration of Tagalog and Kapampangan peoples from either somewhere in Sumatra or Java in present-day Indonesia. Dates unknown, but this theory holds the least credibility regardless for basing these migrations from the outdated out-of-Sundaland model of the Austronesian expansion.^[11] 

Wikipedia is very doubtful of this theory.  There is no proof that a Tagalog or Kapampangan language is closely related to any present Sumatran or Javan language as far as I know. 

Kapampangan appears to have had a longer presence in the Manila region or Southern Luzon in general because Kapampangan is classified under the Central Luzon languages which also include the Sambalic languages of which there are 8 languages or dialects, and the Sinauna language.  The Central Luzon languages have diversified largely within Southern Luzon.  On the other hand, Tagalog belongs to the Central Philippine Language group, but most of the Central Philippine Languages are in the Visayas which suggest that the Central Philippine Languages originate and diversified in the Visayas.  Moreover, there is no theory suggesting that the Visayan, Bicolano, and Mansakan languages originate from Sumatra or Java.  

It is thought that the original Tagalogs arrived and settled in what would be today Batangas province.  But Batangas province was likely already settled by other people, and in my opinion most likely a Central Luzon speaking group given the proximity of Batangas to the Central Luzon speakers today. 

Province of Batangas

Present distribution of Central Luzon Languages such as Kapampangan, the Sambalic languages/dialects, and Sinauna

There could be other languages other than Central Luzon languages present in the Batangas province prior to the arrival of the Tagalogs, but in my opinion, it is likely the Central Luzon language speakers that would have at least formed a majority in the province.  

The original Tagalogs not only would settle on the shores of Batangas, but they would eventually also come to take over Taal Lake which is a large freshwater lake.  Usually settlements are created around freshwater resources such as rivers and lakes, and the Municipality of Taal on the shores of Balayan Bay is a short distance from Taal Lake, and the Pansipit River originating from Taal Lake runs through it.  The Municipality of Taal is likely a good candidate for an early Tagalog settlement for all these reasons.  Since the Municipality of Taal is on the shores of Balayan Bay, it is also a strategic location for maritime trade.  But to protect their freshwater resources, in my opinion, the Tagalogs would eventually have to take over Taal Lake.  Also, they could take advantage of whatever Taal Lake has to offer such as the fish in the lake.  Moreover, Taal Lake is in Taal Volcano, and therefore the Tagalogs could obtain the high ground in any attack and also have a commanding view of the lower grounds especially of the Central Luzon speakers coming from their north flank.  It's not until the Tagalogs took over Taal Lake that in my opinion they had secured themselves in Batangas.  This is probably why Taal Lake is an important part of Tagalog history and mythology.  I would even hazard to guess that the Tagalogs had planned beforehand to take over Taal Lake even prior to their arrival to Batangas.  I can't be 100% sure, but their arrival would have to have been planned out carefully in order to prevent possible failure, in particular, attacks from Central Luzon speakers and sabotage of freshwater resources.