A view of the present Girder-Type Palsabangon Bridge taken facing east from the upstream side.

What we may not have not heard of before is: General MacArthur's headquarters turned down a field commander's request to emplace at least two pieces of artillery along Lamon Bay. Those artilleries were concentrated in Batangas, Balayan and Nasugbu Bays in the west coast. As a result, the Japanese landed unmolested in Lamon Bay in the east coast. The only opposition were given by a small number of Philippine Army troops who fired while the enemy were landing on the beach. The defenders were forced to withdraw later in the direction of Pagbilao. While withdrawing, they would set up defense positions along the way to delay the enemy. A defense position was first established in Malicboy. This position was attacked by sea planes from the same Lamon Bay Forces. With the weakened defense, Malicboy was easily siezed by the enemy. The defenders would later reestablish positions along a river in Binahaan (probably Locohin River) after withrawal from Malicboy.
The most dramatic in the defenders' actions to delay the advancing enemy happened in Palsabangon Bridge on Christmas day of 1941 which Louis Morton (banner below) vividly detailed:

"On Christmas Day Colonel Cordero's 52d Infantry was ordered to hold the Pagbilao-Tayabas road, and Colonel Boatwright's one battalion of the 53d was posted on the east shore of the Palsabangon River to cover the east-west road and Cordero's line of retreat. When the Japanese reached the river they were halted briefly by Boatwright's 53d Infantry troops to permit final preparations for the demolition of the bridge and the crossing of Cordero's men. The last 52d Infantry troops crossed under enemy fire and the bridge was blown almost in the face of the pursuing Japanese. Colonel Cordero continued through the 53d Infantry lines to positions about 2,000 yards northwest of Pagbilao, along the Tayabas road. Boatwright remained at the river line to oppose the expected Japanese crossing. "

Click on the banner below to go to the book's "Chapter XI: Withdrawal in the South" which detailed the advancing of enemy forces and the "blowing of Palsabangon Bridge almost in the face of pursuing Japanese". There are links, within this electronic version of the book, which would bring you to other chapters and allow you to read the book as a whole. There are other links which would also bring you to other topics related to World War II.