Key takeaways
- Slots, not members, decide the expected pot.
- Shortfall is visible before the payout is released.
- Arrears are named per member.
- The payout order lives where everyone can see it.
A paluwagan is held together entirely by record keeping, and the record is usually a folded sheet of paper carried by one person. It works for three cycles. By the sixth, somebody has missed a contribution nobody noticed, the pot handed over was short, and a group of colleagues or neighbours is having a conversation none of them wanted. Paluwagan PH keeps groups, members, cycles, contributions and payouts as connected rows.
Slots, not heads
A member may hold more than one slot, which means they contribute twice each cycle and receive twice over the round.
Expected collection multiplies the group's total slots by the contribution per slot, so a two-slot member is counted correctly without anyone having to remember.
The shortfall appears before the payout
Collected is the sum of contributions recorded against the cycle. Shortfall is what is still missing.
Seeing that number before handing over the pot is the entire point, because a short pot handed over is a debt the organiser has quietly taken on.
Arrears belong to a person
The member ledger multiplies the cycles the group has run by the contribution and the slots each member holds, then subtracts what they actually paid.
A member in arrears is named. That converts a general suspicion into a specific, solvable conversation.
The turn is on the record
Each cycle names the member whose turn it is, and each payout is recorded against the cycle it settles.
The checks count duplicate cycle identifiers, cycles naming a group that does not exist, and contributions naming a cycle or a member that is not on file.
Review exceptions every week
Resolve duplicate IDs, missing links, overdue balances, negative amounts, and open operational items in CHECKS before using the dashboard for decisions.
Paluwagan PH Private Google Sheets Web App is designed for use with a Google account, Google Sheets, and Apps Script, using owner-only deployment by default.
No interest, service charge or lending, no bank or e-wallet collection, no automatic reminders to members, no legal agreement or contract template, and no credit scoring or default enforcement of any kind.
Frequently asked questions
Can a member hold two slots?
Yes. Set the slot count to two. They contribute double each cycle and appear twice in the payout order.
What if someone misses a contribution?
Simply do not record one. The cycle shows a shortfall and that member's ledger shows arrears until they pay.
Does it charge interest?
No. A paluwagan is not a loan. The workbook records contributions and payouts only.
Does this replace official records?
No. No interest, service charge or lending, no bank or e-wallet collection, no automatic reminders to members, no legal agreement or contract template, and no credit scoring or default enforcement of any kind.
