MANILA - The Department of Transportation said Tuesday it had not rejected unsolicited proposals to upgrade the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or build an alternate terminal at Sangley point.

At least 4 proposals are being evaluated, Transportation Usec. Ruben Reinoso said, clarifying reports that the proposals have been rejected.

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The evaluation of a proposal from the Filipino-Indian consortium GMR-Megawide was put on hold to give way to a study on the bid by a "super consortium" of 7 conglomerates, Reinoso said.

The law requires that the first submitted proposal should be evaluated first before the government can study other plans, he said.

The "super consortium" may shorten its proposed concession period to 15 years after the government found the 35 years that it suggested as too long, the DOTr said.

Shorting the concession period could result in dropping plans to build an additional runway, said super consortium spokesman Jose Emmanuel Reverente, who is also vice president of one of the partners, Aboitiz Infracapital.