Take out those earrings and brush up on your Mona Lisa smile — it’s picture time!

The Philippines Consulate General in Vancouver is bringing in machine-readable passports that have some ‘interesting’ requirements.

"When having photos taken, the applicant may smile," reads the new directive. "However, the ‘Mona Lisa’ smile is recommended."

It’s strange that the Philippine government would ask its citizens to mimic Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile, one that has confused art lovers for over 400 years, commented Tom Avendano, president of the Multicultural Helping House Society.

"Everyone smiles differently," he chuckles, from his Filipino immigrant services office in Vancouver. "How can they ask someone to do a ‘Mona Lisa smile’?"

Since 9/11, countries worldwide have implemented stricter passport protocols.

Canadians are instructed to adopt a sombre demeanour. The U.S. agrees smiles have no place on modern travel documents. The U.K. insists its passport holders adopt a funless face. The Philippines, at least, allows for some small showing of sunny emotion.

Still, the passport snap should be printed only on "good quality" "matte" paper with a regal blue background.
"Where are you going to get a royal blue background?," asks Avenado. "These requirements are really funny. I’ve shown them to all my friends."

Maria Javier, a Canadian resident from Manila, says she asked someone from The Philippines Consulate General to explain the new requirements.

"They only told me the new process will take longer," she said, admitting she made little headway discovering which Consul official considers Leonardo da Vinci’s gloomy masterpiece the benchmark for appropriate facial expression for the traveling Filipino.

In another bizarre change to the passport rules, earrings have dangled their way into contention.

"The use of earrings for women is likewise allowed, provided the earrings are small," the new rules state.

"However, the wearing of earrings for men is not allowed."

"Why are men not allowed to wear earrings?," asks Avenado. "It’s so weird. It just makes me laugh."