One of the Chinese influences in the built environment of the Philippines are shophouses. They are usually found in Chinatowns in almost every major city in the Philippines.
A shophouses is a building type that is both a commercial as well as a residential place. Usually the commercial space is at the bottom while the residential units are at the top of the building. These types of houses became a household name in the 1950s.
There are three distinct designs of a shophouse. These are its site and plan, its verandas, its courtyard and upper floor.
Site plan
Usually the shophouses are designed for urban dwellers. They are designed in a narrow and deep site to accommodate business in the area. Usually the site is rectangular and has a narrow frontage and longer depth.
The front area along the street was formal space for customers, while the rear areas were informal spaces for family members, toilets, bathrooms, kitchens, and infrastructure.
Veranda
Almost all shophouses have verandas in the front of the house. This protects the merchandise from rain and extreme heat as well as reception for customers. These verandas have colonnades.
Courtyard and upper floor
Traditional shophouses have one to three floors and buildings with parallel masonry party walls.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shophouse
https://www.canva.com/design/DAD9z4_b5Ks/qpAxEH1zbkcUYpYpVVe0gA/edit