Pan now on Trinidad and Tobago's new coat of arms

JUST four days before the Panorama finals, President Christine Kangaloo proclaimed the law to place the steelpan at the centre of the TT coat of arms.

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts both proudly displayed the new emblem featuring the national instrument on their social media pages the same day, February 25. Kangaloo's proclamation was published as Legal Notice Number 6, Number 1 of 2025.

A statement on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts declared, "UPDATED - The Coat of Arms of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago‼️ WE ARE PROUDLY TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO! Randall Mitchell."

The OPM Facebook page displayed the new coat of arms. It also showed a photo of the Prime Minister receiving the report from the Cabinet Appointed Committee to Review the Placement of Statues, Monuments and Signage in TT at Whitehall, Port of Spain, on February 25. The committee was chaired by Dr Rita Pemberton who was shown handing the report to Dr Rowley.

Previously, on the day of the Panorama semifinals, February 16, the Central Bank said the new emblem with the steel pan would be placed on the country's $100 bill, and be available to the general public in September.

A bill to replace the three ships of Christopher Columbus on TT's national coat of arms with the steelpan was passed by the House of Representatives on January 13 and by the Senate on January 21. The National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulation)(Amendment) Bill, 2025 was piloted by Mitchell.

The Central Bank said, "The adjusted Coat of Arms (replacement of the ships with the steelpan) has been integrated into the design at no additional cost."

The new coat of arms was designed by artist Gillian Bishop and has provoked much public discussion and comment, some for and some against the change.