On December 9, 1941, news was heard in the radio that World War II had broken out. This was followed by a telegram of President Quezon ordering the closing of all public schools. This was the beginning of an educational blackout to last more than three years.
On December 12, 1941, Japanese warships anchored near Batalay. Virac was bombed on the same day. Japanese troops landed at the southern part of Bato. When the people of Pandan learned of these events, they ran to the mountains. After several days the people returned to the poblacion, since no Japanese could be seen. Pandan had remained peaceful until the end of the year 1941, while in other provinces hard fighting between the USAFFE and the Japanese was going on.
The year 1942 began, and Pandan was yet peaceful. Foodstuffs and other imported commodities became very scarce, but the people were quick to produce food substitutes, as rice, camote, corn, cassava, etc. professions like law, teaching, etc. were abandoned and every able person engaged in the planting of foodstuffs. Women began to weave sinamay for clothing and for sale. Sinamay was in great demand during the whole duration of the war.
When the people heard of the surrender of the USAFFE forces in Bataan and Corregidor, they knew that Japanese authority in the Philippines was established. However, resistance movements sprang everywhere in the Philippines in the form of guerillas.
About the middle part of the year 1942, guerillas under the command of Miranda came. They confiscated arms, went to Viga and established themselves there. Soon the Turko group followed. They occupied the school building. The Turko group became the enemy of the Miranda group. While the guerillas movement had an altruistic motive, many unprincipled and irresponsible members became trouble makers, bringing untold miseries to the people, and causing the death of innocent civilians, who were persecuted under the guise of suspicion as spies, pro-Japanese and other flimsy reasons.
The guerillas were pursued by the Japanese. Japanese soldiers also occupied the public elementary school causing much damage to people and school.
The cruelty of both the Japanese and the guerillas reached its peak in 1944. Among those who fell as victims of this cruelty were Marcelina Ibatuan, Chief of Police Agapito Naval, Amado Olat and Pablo Sanchez. Many people were tortured by both the guerillas and the Japanese.