Palawan (El Nido) from Manila is doable for 3-4 nights if you take the ITI/AirSwift flight. I think it runs around $200-350 round trip. It is out of a private hanger in the MNL airport.
Upside of El Nido is that the island hopping is amazing. Downside is that the hotel options are all over priced and lacking in quality. None are on a nice beach. I've only heard mediocre reviews of the El Nido resorts. We ended up staying on a private island, but it was time consuming to get to.
I really enjoyed visiting Cebu. Though I'm not sure about the area you suggested as it is next to the airport. I did the caynoning and whale shark experience. Which an 8 year old would probably love.