Well, all, guess what? Just before I left for Philippines via Hong Kong the President of the Philippines banned any travel through Hong Kong. I was going to stay in HK for a few nights to show my support, but there was no way to avoid that place at the last minute because my airline was Cathay Pacific (based in Hong Kong). So all of your advice and my efforts were for naught. Talk about disappointing!!
I have trip insurance, and, while I have never made a claim with this company, I hope and expect things will go smoothly. I've used it regularly.
However, my greatest disappointment is with El Galleon (PG) and Magic Island Resort (Moalboal), who rejected even a partial refund, even though this whole thing was finalized so recently and despite their excess capacity and their own president's declaration, irrationally, to prohibit transit through Hong Kong because of coronovirus. If anything, the Philippines was risky for me, as so many Filipinos work in mainland China, and the Philippines does not have the healthcare system of Hong Kong. Maybe I'm being irrational--I am willing to be challenged on this point--but these successful and well-known businesses seem motivated first to pocket the money. It's not like I took up a scarce berth in a dive boat, after all.
So, I will not be returning to the Philippines. Again, this might be irrational, but I expect a more generous response, even if it would have been a token refund. That two independent businesses did the same thing tells me this is not a place that deserves my money. I have been in Asia many times, and I think this kind of thing is not the norm (except in Vietnam).
Sorry for sounding bitter.
