She made the announcement at a media breifing in Port of Spain following Thursday's cabinet meeting.
Persad-Bissessar is going to London to attend the Commonwealth Economic Partnerships Forum (CEBF) in London in her capacity as chair of the Commonwealth.
The MP represents the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), a member of the People's Partnership.
Toppin said she was "shocked" to learn of the appointment and pledged to do her best to carry out her functions. She noted that she is a "new politician" and expressed confidence that other members of Cabinet will "hold my hand" as he undertakes the assignment.
She is the first woman from Tobago to have been given the honour of serving at that level.
So far three different people have acted as PM during Persad-Bissessar's trips overseas since taking office in May - Jack Warner, UNC Chairman, Winston Dookeran, COP Leader and Errol McLeod, leader of the MSJ. They represent members of her People's Partnership.
While the pattern appears to have been a rotation involving different members of the partnership, the Prime Minister has noted that any People's Partnership MP is qualified to act.
"The formula for selecting an acting Prime Minister is seeing who could do a good job in the absence of the Prime Minister and who would carry out the principles and the policies of the party. And every single one of my MPs falls in that category," she Wednesday when reporters asked about the acting appointment.
She reiterated that position on Thursday stating that she considers it her responsibility to the people to ensure that only elected MPs act in such a position.
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