MANILA, Philippines - Some companies, particularly small and medium enterprises (SME), may be unable to give Christmas bonuses to their employees this year, a business group said.

Donald Dee, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said many SMEs are still trying to recover from the impact of recent typhoons, particularly in Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces.

According to Dee, about 60% of SMEs are currently based in the said areas.

"The typhoons affected Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Marikina, where 60% of industries are," he said.

Some companies have admitted their inability to provide their employees with bonuses this year. They assured, however, that they have handed out mandated bonuses such as the 13th month pay.

For instance, a garments factory in Marikina City said it has not yet returned to normal operations as typhoon "Ondoy" (international code name Ketsana) destroyed their equipment and raw materials. As a result, the company is unable to provide proper salaries, let alone bonuses, to their employees.

"We've temporarily ceased operations for 2 months already, so financially, we have nothing to give," employer Rose Arriola said in a mix of English and Tagalog.

Government employees, for their part, are lucky enough to receive their P7,000 Christmas bonus next week. Report from Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News