Cellphone signals down in several Ruby-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines – Cellphone signals went down in several areas hit by Typhoon Ruby (international name: Hagupit) on Saturday, December 6, as the typhoon headed toward Masbate after making landfall in Eastern Samar.

Mon Isberto, spokesman of telecommunications giant Smart, confirmed that Smart’s signal “is down” in Borongan, Eastern Samar, “and the towns north of it.”

While Isberto did not identify the other towns that lost cellphone signals, the towns north of Borongan include San Julian, Sulat, Taft, Can-avid, Dolores, Oras, and San Policarpo.

Isberto said Smart’s engineers have begun to coordinate with their staff in Cebu using satellite phones.

Rappler is still trying to reach Globe, another major telecommunications company, as of posting time.

Other areas hit by Ruby – which made landfall in Dolores, Eastern Samar, at around 9:15 pm on Saturday – lost cellphone signals, too.

Rappler’s team in Pambujan, Northern Samar, has been unable to use their Smart and Globe numbers since around 10 pm on Saturday.

On Facebook, Bryan Alexander Zosa Yan reported that Globe subscribers in Daram, Samar, lost their cellphone signals, while Smart is still working.

In Caibiran, Biliran, only Smart subscribers have cellphone signals, according to Adrian Villegas.

How’s the cellphone signals where you are? Update us through the comments section below. – Rappler.com