By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES should leverage its wide Filipino-American community as a soft diplomacy tool to negotiate the 17% reciprocal tariff imposed by US President Donald J. Trump, analysts said at the weekend.

With over 4 million Filipino Americans across the US, Federation of Free Workers President Jose Sonny G. Matula said the community represents a powerful, largely underutilized force in influencing American policy through lobbying and advocacy efforts.

“They are well-placed to support lobbying efforts,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber chat. “By organizing advocacy campaigns, working with Filipino American elected officials, and partnering with US-based labor and business groups, we can amplify calls for fairer tariff structures and trade practices.”

“The key is mobilization with a unified message that aligns with US values — like support for democratic partners, labor rights and fair competition,” the labor leader added.

Strengthening ties with US-based trade unions and global federations could also allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to play a more active role in advancing fair trade, he noted.

Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a diplomacy instructor at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, said the Filipino American community is among the largest Asian-American communities in the US.

“With this alone, we can already speculate about the pivotal role they play in propelling the American economy,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Given that Trump considers the people who rallied for him during the recent elections, the number of Filipino Americans who voted for him to be back in the White House may be something he should look into.”

Mr. Cortez added that if the reciprocal tariffs prove to be a bane for the Philippines, the perception of Filipino Americans and their relatives might negatively shift against Mr. Trump.

“Given the tensions happening already in the US today, Trump would not want this to transpire, as this may also serve as impetus for the entire Asian-American community to lose their faith in him and the Republican Party as a whole,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Matula said that cooperation on digital trade, cybersecurity or labor reforms also creates room for negotiations.

“The US is keen on forging alliances in digital trade and cybersecurity, especially in the Indo-Pacific,” he added. “The Philippines can position itself as a trusted digital ally, offering secure digital infrastructure, a skilled information technology workforce, and data governance frameworks.”

He urged the government to enact credible labor reforms to signal readiness for deeper economic engagement, which can open doors for preferential tariff treatment, specifically in garments, agriculture, and electronics.

Manila, in return, should also benefit from a genuine transfer of technology from Washington so that it equally benefits from the trained and skilled workforce that serves the American market and potentially offers the same growth for the local market.

Washington slapped Manila with a 17% reciprocal tariff earlier this month. It is set to take effect in mid-July after it ordered a 90-day pause in implementation.

It is the second lowest among Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries after Singapore’s baseline rate of 10%.