Trinidad and Tobago will bestow its most prestigious national honor, the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT), on three distinguished public figures at a formal ceremony hosted this evening at Port of Spain’s Queen’s Hall, kicking off at 6 p.m. The full list of awardees across six honor categories was publicly released by the Office of the President last night, with President Christine Kangaloo set to preside over the presentations and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar expected to return from an official visit to New York to attend the event.
The ORTT, the nation’s highest recognition granted only in gold grade, honors individuals who have rendered exceptional and distinguished service to the country, with a statutory cap of no more than five recipients per year. This year, only three individuals have been selected for the honor: Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, Senate President Wade Mark, and former government minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan.
Boodoosingh, who gained admission to legal practice in 1992, was appointed to the High Court bench in 2007 and elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2020. Prior to his judicial career, he served as a lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School, and was appointed Chief Justice by then-acting president Wade Mark in October 2024.
Mark, who was elected Senate President in May 2024, boasts a decades-long parliamentary career that began in 1990. Over the course of his public service, he has held a wide range of senior roles, including Minister of Public Administration, Vice-President of the Senate, Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Rambachan, a veteran leader from the United National Congress, has served as Member of Parliament for Tabaquite, a senator, mayor of Chaguanas, ambassador to Brazil, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Beyond his political career, he is also recognized as a respected Ramayan scholar and bhajan singer, and credited with playing a key role in establishing Indian Arrival Day as an official national celebration in Trinidad and Tobago.
Following the top-tier ORTT honorees, six distinguished individuals will receive the Chaconia Medal in Gold. The list includes epidemiologist Dr Paul Elias Alexander, a former Covid-19 advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with over 20 years of experience in public health and clinical research; former government minister Joseph Toney, who represented the Toco/Manzanilla constituency under the National Alliance for Reconstruction administration and later chaired major state-owned entities including the Port Authority and First Citizens; veteran educator Keshmani Dhaniram-Gosine, who over four decades of teaching saw more than 215 of her students place in the top 200 of the national Secondary Entrance Assessment between 1999 and 2024; prominent political scientist Dr Maukesh Basdeo, who has spent over 20 years at The University of the West Indies St. Augustine campus advancing research on parliamentary governance, public administration, and Caribbean political development; retired Justice of Appeal Allan Mendonça, who served as a High Court judge from 1999 to 2004 and a Court of Appeal justice from 2004 to 2024, and acted as Chief Justice on multiple occasions; and posthumous recipient Haji Churchill Azad Akaloo, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who built manufacturing firm Sheik Lisha Ltd into a major industry player, and was known for his ongoing charitable work including providing monthly food support to over 150 low-income families until his passing earlier this month.
Four veteran journalists, including two former leaders from the Trinidad Express, will be awarded the Chaconia Medal in Silver. Omatie Lyder, who retired as Editor-in-Chief of the Express in February after 43 years with the outlet (15 of those in the top editor role), is honored for her decades of newsroom leadership and mentorship of generations of Trinidadian journalists, having risen from trainee reporter to hold nearly every senior editorial role across the Express and its former sister publication the Independent. Lyder now serves as Consulting Editor at the Express.
Political editor Ria Taitt, who retired in March after 42 years in journalism including 20 years as the Express’ political editor, is recognized for her comprehensive coverage of 11 national general elections. Photojournalist Andrea De Silva, who has 33 years of experience in the field, becomes one of the few honorees for photojournalism, recognized as the first Caribbean photojournalist to secure long-term accreditation with global news agency Thomson Reuters. Veteran journalist and author Jai Parasram, who began his career in 1972 at Trinidad and Tobago Television and later worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as part of the founding team for CBC Newsworld, is honored for his 50-year career spanning Caribbean and Canadian media.
Ten individuals and organizations will receive the Hummingbird Medal in Gold for their contributions across community service, culture, business, and religion. Recipients include Shamsudeen Ayube and Vallence Rambharat of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team; the Ganesh Utsav Foundation, recognized for its ongoing humanitarian and community outreach work; the Chinmaya Mission, honored for its religious and community service; posthumous honoree Rakesh “The Raja” Yankarran, the legendary chutney singer who won the National Chutney Monarch title in 1996 and 1997 after a 50-year performance career; business leader and philanthropist Shamshad Ali; posthumous honoree Sadhruddin “Sadro” Mohammed, the first on-air voice of Trinidadian station 103FM at its 1993 launch, recognized for his contributions to broadcasting, music, and national culture; posthumous honoree Emamool “Mamoo” Deen, who alongside his wife Rasulan Deen popularized the iconic local street food doubles in Princes Town in the 1930s; Sylbert “Bellman” Robley, honored for decades of community and Spiritual Baptist service; and Dr Winston Mansingh, recognized for his religious leadership and ministry.
Athletics pioneer Rawle “Mr Hampton” Raphael is the sole recipient of the Hummingbird Medal in Silver. Raphael co-founded the Hampton International Games and contributed over 50 years to advancing local athletics, and was inducted into the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation Hall of Fame in 2012. Three individuals will receive the Hummingbird Medal in Bronze: Junior Bisnath, who has spent over three decades preserving the traditional Moko Jumbie stilt-walking cultural practice; Fyzool “Haroon” Awardy, recognized for his service to business, sport, and community development; and 84-year-old Bishop Marjorie Anderson, honored for decades of contributions to education, nursing, correctional services, counseling, rehabilitation, and community and spiritual service.
Five recipients will receive the Public Service Medal of Merit in Gold: Ian Macintyre SC, who has dedicated over three decades to legislative drafting and legal administration and was appointed Chief Parliamentary Counsel in 2010; Raymond Surujbally, recognized for 40 years of service to education and youth development; Master Ralph Doyle, whose legal and public service includes tenure as Master of the High Court and as the first deputy director of the Police Complaints Authority; Leonard Bradshaw, who served as Vice-President of the Senate from 1988 to 1991 under the NAR administration; and the Trinidad and Tobago Cadet Force, which is celebrating 116 years of youth development work, and currently serves over 2,300 cadets through eight battalions and more than 75 school-based units.
To close the honors list, three trailblazing women will receive the Medal for the Development of Women in Gold: prominent soca artist Destra Garcia, lawyer, author and women’s rights advocate Deborah Moore-Miggins, and public service human resources pioneer Rudrawatee Nan Gosine-Ramgoolam. Garcia, who has worked for over two decades as a soca performer, songwriter, and motivational speaker, is recognized for expanding space for women in the soca and creative industries, and for promoting female confidence, self-expression, and empowerment through her work. Moore-Miggins is honored for her work advancing literacy, mentorship, women’s political participation, and gender empowerment. Gosine-Ramgoolam is recognized for her pioneering work in public service human resource management and for introducing the national Employee Assistance Programme.