I'm a big fan of Cebu. The people are very friendly and the resorts are great. I've stayed at the Shangri-La and Plantation Village. Both were great stays. The massages at Plantation Village were amazing.

A big plus to Cebu is that there are nearby destinations that make for great day trips. They have day trips to Bohol, a neighboring island. You can see the chocolate hills and go to the tasiers (monkeys) park. http://www.bohol.ph/
If you snorkel, Mactan Island (Cebu) has some decent spots as does Bohol.

End of August / early september will not be as rainy as say june or july but the driest months are Feb to May.

If you have a friend who wants to take you there...well go for it. It's always great to have a local show you around. (assuming they're local)