Koji Suzuki, 55, from Tokyo, was just about to check out of the Shangri-La Mactan Hotel when papers he was holding in his hand were blown away by the wind, hotel spokesman Neil Rumboa said.
Suzuki ran after the papers but in his rush, he tumbled over the lobby railing and fell about 7.5 meters to his death.
Superintendent Paquito Belandres, city police chief, ruled out foul play, citing the accounts of numerous witnesses at the hotel.