Anderson Cooper was among the first few international reporters who came to Tacloban and witnessed the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in the province.

Because of the American news anchor who personally experienced the situation in Tacloban, awareness that our countrymen and Yolanda survivors need immediate help had a big boost and aid from different parts of the world started to pour in.

In an interview by Pep.ph, Cooper also praised the Filipinos for their “strength and continued courage.”

“To see so many people next to the ruins of their houses laughing, joking with a foreigner, like me, perhaps that’s gonna be the greatest resource that the Filipinos have. Their sense of humor, that’s gonna be what’s going to take them through the long difficult months ahead if they try to rebuild,” he said.

He described the Filipino resiliency as “extraordinary.”

“You go to the people and you say, ‘How are you doing? Kamusta?’ And they say, ‘Oh, I’m okay.’ And then you ask, ‘Have you lost anybody?’ And they say, ‘Yes, I’ve lost three of my children… six of my children.’ I mean, their strength is extraordinary,” he added.

Meanwhile, there are rumors circulating on various social media sites saying that President Obama is nominating Anderson Cooper to become the new US Ambassador to the Philippines.

These rumors are not true. Apparently, it came from the website Adobo Chronicle, a blog which fabricates and twists news reports.

The website made up the story saying Obama nominated Cooper because he is “fully qualified for the job and brings with him extensive knowledge and experience with political, social and other issues plaguing foreign governments, including the Philippines.”