I'm trying to teach myself. I figure three words a day will add up to over 700 words after a year

I could actually build an AI Tagalog teacher. I built a Thai one earlier this year for a friend. It teaches you properly, remembers what you've already learned and where you're struggling, and moves the lessons forward as you improve. It can also listen to real conversations and help you understand what's being said, instead of just translating individual words. It's much more like having your own personal language teacher than using a translator. If enough people are interested in something like this, I could probably have a Tagalog version done within a couple of weeks.

For me, I can't always figure out how to pronounce their words properly. That's a huge roadblock for me.

One way is to watch local shows and movies with English subtitles. Once you pick up a word or phrase, use it as often as you can. 👍

The natural way to learn is through comprehensible input. Start with YouTube videos made for little kids. You can see what they're talking about, so you start linking words to images. Like if they point at a banana and say 'saging,' it links up in your brain. You don't have to translate in your head. Or if they say 'kumakain ako' and you see them eating, your brain learns that. I learned Tagalog and Mandarin this way. Mandarin is actually a much easier language to learn. Tagalog has a lot of verb conjugations. Mandarin has none. Try finding a tutor on iTalki too.

I didn't. And I don't plan to. English is more widely spoken.