If you have to overnight in Manila, Makati is Five-star modern glitz, expensive malls and eateries. If you've got the budget and like the Five-Star style, you can't go wrong. We hang out in Ermita - older and cheaper, quaint by Filipino standards. They may not look like it, but Ermita's streets are safe at night. Small and sleepy , Coron is our favorite village.
Wreck diving is big here, but life is definitely relaxed and laid back.
We recommend Kalamayan Inn as the place to stay in town. Their Manila staff have proven to be so adept at airline bookings that clever travel agents book through them. To get around town, the tricycle motorbike will take you anywhere for less than 40 cents. Coron's night life is a cultural experience in itself. Check out the Disco.