Maria Cecilia T. Sicangco

As Counsel for ADB’s Law and Policy Reform Program, Maria Cecilia T. Sicangco leads rule of law and sustainable development initiatives throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Notably, Cecille led the Islamic Finance for the Philippines technical assistance project, which resulted in the enactment of the nation's Islamic banking law. The initiative's impact extended to strengthening the capacity of more than 1,700 regulators and finance professionals, bringing new market players into the sector, and culminating in a highly successful USD 1 billion sovereign sukuk issuance on Nasdaq Dubai.

Furthermore, Cecille leads the Promotion of Gender-Responsive Judicial Systems Technical Assistance, providing training to judges, prosecutors, justice officers, police officers, and public defenders in Timor-Leste and Fiji on laws and procedures related to violence against women and girls (VAWG). This effort has produced essential resources, including the dual-language Handbook on Investigation of Gender-Based Violence Offenses (English and Tetum).

Cecille has also created innovative knowledge products, such as a pioneering e-learning system and the first course on international commercial arbitration for Southeast Asian judges, developed in collaboration with the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices. She authored the International Climate Change Legal Frameworks volume of ADB’s Climate Change, Coming Soon to a Court Near You report series. She also co-authored the National Climate Change Legal Frameworks volume, which synthesized the climate legal and policy frameworks of 32 countries in the region and analyzed key legislative trends and climate-relevant constitutional rights. Additionally, she contributed to and acted as secondary editor for the Court Companion on Gender-Based Violence Cases, a resource designed to enhance justice accessibility for victims of gender-based violence.

Cecille holds a double degree in Bachelor of Applied Economics and Accountancy from De La Salle University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines. She earned a Master of Laws in International Legal Studies from New York University, where she was a Starr Foundation Global Scholar, Hauser Scholar, and Thomas M. Franck Scholar in International Law. She also holds a Certificate in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and an Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance from the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia.

A Philippine- and New York-qualified lawyer and certified public accountant, Cecille is a member of the World Commission on Environmental Law.