Cell towers in Marinduque, Bicol damaged by Typhoon Nina

Telecommunication signals in Marinduque and the Bicol region have been cut down as several cell towers in the area have been structurally damaged by Typhoon Nina (international name: Nock-Ten), Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. said on Monday.

"Based on our network team assessment, intermittent services were mostly caused by commercial power outages in the Bicol Region. Generator sets for cell towers are now being used to allow customers to use basic telecommunications services such as calls and text messaging. However, at least 6 towers located in Camarines Sur (4 towers), Albay and Marinduque were structurally affected which will make full service restoration longer," Yolanda C. Crisanto, Globe senior vice-president for corporate affairs, said in an emailed statement.

"The towers were reportedly damaged because of strong winds that ran up to 200 km per hour.  Multiple fiber cuts were also reported from Pili to Legaspi," she added.

Globe said technical teams have already been deployed to make restoration efforts in the areas "as soon as weather permits."

According to PAGASA, Typhoon Nina reached Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro — its eighth landfall — at 1 p.m.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 is currently hoisted over the western portion of Batangas and the northern portion of Occidental Mindoro, including Lubang Island.

Signal No. 2 is raised over the rest of Occidental Mindoro and Batangas, as well as in Oriental Mindoro and Cavite.

Meanwhile, the following have been placed under Signal No. 1 —Metro Manila, Rizal, Marinduque, Laguna, Southern Quezon, Calamian Group of Islands, Bataan, and southern Zambales. —KG, GMA News