Communication, Internet services restored in Zambo after Typhoon Rai

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Communication giants PLDT-Smart and Globe Telecom have fully restored their services in Zamboanga City almost two days after Super Typhoon Rai ravaged through the Philippines.

PLDT restored its telephone and Internet services only on Saturday while Globe Telecom restored its Internet and cell phone services late Friday. Both companies cited multiple breakage of its fiber optic cables due to the typhoon that affected its services in Mindanao and Visayas.

Not only communication and Internet services were affected by the typhoon, but banking services, including ATMs were down. Hotels and restaurants, and shopping malls and department stores were also severely affected as debit and credit card holders cannot swipe their cards because there was no Internet services.

“We cannot accept debit and credit cards. There are no telephone and Internet services, everything now is on a cash basis,” one waiter told his customers Friday afternoon at the Hermosa Jardin restaurant in Marcian Garden Hotel in Zamboanga.

Power was also out in several areas in Zamboanga City on Friday.

Globe Telecom said it has restored services in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Bukidnon; while efforts are still ongoing in other affected areas – Leyte, Cebu, Surigao del Norte and Sur, Bohol, Palawan, Negros Occidental and Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Sur and Norte, Samar, Iloilo, Siquijor, Guimaras and Camiguin province.

PLDT said wireless communications services in most areas in Mindanao have been restored.

“The network repair carries on until Mindanao is 100% fully restored. We are sending a technical team to Siargao (Island) to restore affected services in the area. The technical teams in Visayas and Palawan will continue the restoration of affected sites as the weather improves,” it said.

Although Zamboanga City was not directly hit by the typhoon, several houses were destroyed by a tidal surge on the coastal village of Labuan. There were no reports of casualties, according to Mayor Beng Climaco, who ordered social workers to provide food aid to those affected by the storm surge. (Mindanao Examiner)