The House of Representatives has unanimously passed a Bill seeking to replace Columbus’ ships on T&T’s Coat of Arms with the steelpan.

The Bill, piloted by Tourism and Culture Minister Randall Mitchell, was read a third time in the House yesterday.

According to the Bill, the base of the Arms will now contain “a gold Steelpan and its iconic two pan sticks, also gold”.

Designer Gillian Bishop has been tasked with creating the new emblem which is yet to be unveiled.

There is also a clause which ensures that licences issued under the current act remain valid, and that the former emblem “may be used until 1st January, 2026 or such later date as the Minister may prescribe by Order.”

The move to replace the three ships with the steelpan was first announced by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on August 18th 2024.

This development meanwhile has been welcomed by Pan Trinbago, as “a defining moment for our nation”.

In a statement, the organization’s President Beverley Ramsey-Moore says the steelpan has become a beacon of T&T’s cultural legacy and innovation.

She believes its inclusion on the Coat of Arms also reflects deep cultural pride and the global resonance of the national instrument.

Mrs Ramsey-Moore adds that younger generations may be able to connect more deeply with the Steelpan than with colonial symbols, making this amendment a forward-looking decision for the nation’s future.