Energy Secretary Vincent Perez said “it would take some time” before electricity was restored in the towns of Infanta, Real, and General Nakar in Quezon as it would cost about 65 million pesos to repair the destroyed power lines there.

But in the Cagayan Valley region, Perez said electricity would be restored “in two to seven days.”

Perez said this was in compliance with the order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the DoE to restore power in calamity areas before Christmas.

“Her order was for us to restore power before Christmas,” Perez told reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday in Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters.

Perez said power had not been restored in 38 municipalities -- eight in Nueva Vizcaya province, two in Quirino, six in Cagayan, nine in Ifugao, seven in Aurora, three in Quezon, and three in Oriental Mindoro.