dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə sˈɛkənd wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ, ɪt bɪkˌeɪm ɐ tˈɑːɹɡɪt ʌv dʒˌæpənˈiːz fˈoːɹsᵻz dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðɛɹ ɪnvˈeɪʒən ʌvðə fˈɪlᵻpˌiːnz, sˈiːzɪŋ ɪɾ ɐlˈɔŋ wɪððə hˈoʊl ˈaɪlənd ɔnðə fˈɜːst dˈeɪ ʌvðə pɐsˈɪfɪk wˈɔːɹ ˌɔn ˈeɪt dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn.
During the Second World War, it became a target of Japanese forces during their invasion of the Philippines, seizing it along with the whole island on the first day of the Pacific War on 8 December 1941.