MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino artist and philatelist, Marco Ruben Trinos Malto II, designed the Namibia Twyfelfontein UNESCO World Heritage Site commemorative stamps, launched last June 27 in the southern African country.

?It was my idea, but I never thought they would actually let me do it since I?m a Filipino,? said Malto.

Twyfelfontein, with its pre-historic rock engravings, is Namibia?s (formerly South-West Africa) first and only World Heritage Site to date, proclaimed by UNESCO on June 29, 2007. These rock engravings, depicting a lion, elephant, giraffe and other wild animals of Africa, are believed to be the creation of the ancestors of present-day San Bushmen some 3000-5000 years ago.

?My wife and I went on a tour to the site and seeing the pre-historic rock engravings up close inspired the thought. I then personally delivered a handwritten letter to the NamPost Chief Executive suggesting that they come up with such stamps, but I wasn?t expecting any reply, at all. I did not even know the guy. So I was really surprised when in my next visit to the post office, one of the employees who recognized me, approached me and said they?ve been looking all over the city for me!?

Meetings and deliberations with the chief executive, managers and Namibia Stamp Advisory Committee late last year, just before Malto left the country, eventually led to the approval of the proposal to issue the commemorative stamps.

?A local artist has to design the stamps, which I understand completely being an artist and a philatelist myself. This is not only due to preference for local over foreign artists, but also because of NamPost policy,? he said. ?But since I initiated the idea and I am a stamp designer, too, the chief executive thought it is only fair that I be awarded the project.?

?Naturally, this raised a lot of debates and conflicts among the members of the Stamp Advisory Committee, and even after sending the final artwork for the stamps last February, I had doubts whether they were going to use my design,? Malto said.

He stayed in Windhoek, Namibia in 2007, to accompany his wife who served as a development worker in the country. For six months, Malto traveled around Namibia, taught art classes to orphans and vulnerable children due to HIV/AIDS, and cooked meals for his wife.

?I was content with being my wife?s personal chef and doing volunteer activities on the side during my time in Namibia, I never imagined being the first Filipino artist to design Namibian stamps? and a special series at that.?

Malto teaches Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and was the chair of the Department of Studio Arts, prior to his trip to Namibia. In 1994, he designed the Philippine UN stamps series commemorating the International Labor Organization?s 75th Anniversary, the International Civil Aviation Organization?s 50th Anniversary and the International Year of the Family.

His other designs include four miniature sheets in conjunction with the ASEAN Philatelic Exhibition in 1996 (ASEANPEX?96), and Far Eastern University?s 75th Anniversary stamp in 2003.