The Philippines is a multilingual state with over 120 to 195 languages spoken, depending on the method of classification. Almost all of these languages are Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago, and some Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called Chavacano, along with some local varieties of Chinese, are also spoken in certain communities. The two official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English. Filipino is the national language, and the official status of English is a holdover from its time as a U.S. territory between the years of 1898 and 1946. Filipino is a standardized version of Tagalog, spoken mainly in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, and in other urban centers of the archipelago. While Filipino is used for communication across the countrys diverse linguistic groups and in popular culture, the government operates mostly using English. Including second-language speakers, there are more speakers of Filipino than English in the Philippines. The other regional languages are given official auxiliary status in their respective places according to the constitution, but particular languages are not specified. Some of these regional languages are also used in education. Additionally, the Arabic script is used in the Muslim areas in the southern Philippines. Tagalog and Cebuano are the most commonly spoken native languages, together comprising about half of the population of the Philippines.