MANILA, Philippines--After helping one group of disaster victims after another get back on their feet, Filipinos and their foreign friends have yet to succumb to donor fatigue. On the contrary, their generosity seems to grow in response to the magnitude of a disaster.

Last Wednesday?s Festival of Trees at Manila Polo Club, an annual fundraiser of Makati Garden Club (MGC) and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), raised P2.2 million in an auction.

Proceeds of the silent auction will benefit six rural elementary schools in Basilan and Maguindanao as part of the group?s ?Project Escuelas,? while proceeds of the oral auction will go to victims of Tropical Storm ?Ondoy.?

As in years past, PBSP, through its extensive network, will allocate the money to make sure the funds reach their beneficiaries.

The festival?s projects include contour farming and reforestation of upland communities in Antique and rehabilitation of overfished Maqueda Bay in Samar.

Led by Mindy Perez-Rubio, this year?s festival chair, and chief ?solicitor? Josephine del Gallego, the group solicited art works, fashion accessories, gift certificates and home items from the likes of Isabel Diaz, Rajo Laurel, Patrick Rosas, Amanpulo, Discovery Shores, Firma, Tai-Ping and Shangri-La Resorts.

These items were grouped under the silent auction. But the top three prizes, which consisted of a one-week stay at St. Regis Bali Resort courtesy of LUXLife, and paintings by Carlos Rocha and Edgar Doctor, were reserved for the open bidding.

Winners

Before the night was over, Candy Pajardo went home with Rocha?s ?Checkmate,? while Maria Luisa Perez-Rubio, former festival chair and one of MGC?s founding members, became the proud owner of Doctor?s ?Trees.?

Perez-Rubio shelled out P50,000 for a painting valued at the same amount, while Pajardo, the Filipina fiancée of LUXLife owner Gary Ferraro, president and CEO of several investment and wealth management companies, paid P36,000 for a painting originally pegged at P42,000.

The Bali holiday went to del Gallego, who gave a $12,000-bid for a vacation package valued at $21,000. A former festival chair herself, del Gallego came on board less than a month before the event to help solicit donations.

The group also generated a fair amount of money from 32 donated ?mystery? boxes worth P5,000 each. Guests didn?t have to bid, as they could buy a box with a surprise prize inside?from cell phones to champagnes, coffee table books to overnight hotel stays.

?The fun part is you don?t know what you?re going to get,? del Gallego said.

Industrialist Manny Pangilinan, chair of PBSP?s board of trustees and the evening?s keynote speaker, best summed up the reason behind Filipinos? unflagging desire to help others.

?Out of this tragedy, something good has emerged among Filipinos?volunteerism and a desire to reach out and help other people,? said the Philippine Long Distance and Telephone company chair. ?After all, you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.?