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Eulogio Balauitan Balao (March 11, 1907 – August 4, 1977) was a Filipino people soldier and politician.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Forces Far East,. As a Major, Balao served as Donald Blackburn's Inspector General for his guerrilla force.Harkins, P., 1956, Blackburn's Headhunters, London: Cassell & Co. LTD He participated in the Battle of Bataan in 1942. As a commanding officer, he led 11th Infantry Battalion troops to a victorious engagement during the Battle of Bessang Pass in June 1945 against the Japanese troops of General Tomoyuki Yamashita. A few days later, he participated in the liberation of Aparri. Following the war, Balao, then a Colonel, turned his military efforts towards quelling the Hukbalahap forces of the Communist Party of the Philippines in Luzon. Thereafter, in 1949, Balao was assigned to service in Nanking, China as the Philippines' Military Attaché. In 1953, he became a brigadier general and in 1954 was appointed Vice Chief of Staff before, in 1956, assuming the office of Secretary of National Defense. Balao served in that capacity from January 3, 1956, to August 28, 1957. In 1957, he was elected to the Senate of the Philippines, where he remained until 1963.
Balao received a number of awards and honors throughout his career, including the Distinguished Service Star and induction into the Philippine Legion of Honor, where he was bestowed the rank of Commander.
Balao, who was closely identified with President Ferdinand Marcos, died in 1977.
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