As for a 1% tariff discount, it is what it is, the Philippines have a good relationship with the United States, and i am sure Bongbong isn't confident of going into a trade war with them.
That's true. Not everyone is equipped to fight a war but the problem is that wars don't wait for us to make up our minds. They start by the enemy and after war is declared, we HAVE TO reciprocate and fight it or we lose everything.
That's the problem here, the US regime has already declared an economic war on everyone including Philippines (the Tariff War) and now everyone has to fight it.
One way to fight the war that the enemy started is to impose reciprocation tariffs on imports from USA. But I understand that not every country can do that but they still have other ways such as
diversifying their trade partners. One way to do it is joining BRICS (something Philippines doesn't seem to be interested in) and to isolate US more so that you simply neutralize their tariff war (no exports to US, no tariffs)...