Good afternoon.
On behalf of my husband, the First Gentleman, and on my own behalf, I warmly welcome you to President’s House for our Fourth Annual Garden Concert.
It brings us deep joy to open these grounds once again to you, the people of Trinidad and Tobago. From the first Garden Concert in 2023 to today, your presence, your support and your spirit have made this event something very special. This year, we have added 500 seats, and that simple fact says something powerful: more families, more friends and more citizens wish to share this afternoon together.
This year also brings us two important anniversaries to mark. First – in 2026, the Office of President celebrates 50 years since its creation on the birth of our Republic in 1976. And second – in 2026, President’s House, against the backdrop of which we gather today, marks 150 years since its completion in 1876. These milestones remind us that this Office and this House form part of the story of our nation.
What a beautiful story it is, and what more beautiful way to celebrate that story – our story – than by gathering here, on Mother’s Day, with families on these lawns, music in the air, and love at the centre of the occasion.
His Excellency and I thank BP Trinidad LLC for its continued and generous sponsorship of this Concert. Your partnership helps us offer this event free of charge to the public, and it helps this Office keep faith with a promise that I made at my inauguration: that the Office of the President would remain open, accessible and connected to the people it serves.
Today, most of all, we honour the mothers of our nation. We honour mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, godmothers, aunts, guardians and all those who give a mother’s love. We thank you for your strength, your patience, your sacrifice, your guidance and your grace. You help hold our families together, and through our families, you help hold our nation together.
It is so wonderful to mark this day in the company of people we love, and with an instrument we all love: our national musical instrument, the steelpan.
The steelpan carries the story of our people. It speaks of talent, resilience, discipline, beauty and joy. It reminds us that from Trinidad and Tobago, something truly original has gone out into the world and continues to make us proud.
So, this afternoon, let us relax, listen, smile, sing along where the spirit moves us, and enjoy the gift of music, family and community.
Thank you for coming. Happy Mother’s Day. May God bless you all, and may God bless our beloved Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
